The century-old Mazu temples in Greater Taichung showcase creativity—come admire cultural relics and creative works

Text by MOOK Traveler’s Life Network / Li Mei? Compiled and Reported

 

The “2013 Taichung Mazu International Tourism and Culture Festival” has officially kicked off. In addition to enjoying exciting performances, the Taichung City Government’s Cultural Affairs Bureau has gathered over 100-year-old Mazu temples from the Greater Taichung area at the Port of Taichung Art Center to present the “Guardians of the Land — Mazu Relics and Creative Goods Exhibition.” Featuring over 100 rarely seen Mazu relics and creative goods contributed by temples such as the Dajia Zhenlan Temple, Hanxi Lecheng Temple, Nantun Wanhe Temple, Wujhi Haotian Temple, Shekou Wanxing Temple, Wujhi Chaoyuan Temple, Daliu Wanxing Temple, and the Jiuzhuang Mazu Yearly Committee, the exhibition includes ancient wooden incense burners, wood-carved incense sticks, wooden qilin incense burners, wooden carved Matsu statues, plaques of the Heavenly Goddess from Meizhou Tianhou Temple, and ancient divine palanquins. On display in Exhibition Room A of the Port of Taichung Art Center until May 19th, the exhibit allows the public to get up close and experience the unique charm of Mazu.

The 2013 Taichung Mazu International Tourism and Culture Festival displays the Qing Dynasty relic “Ancient Wooden Incense Burner” from the Hanxi Lecheng Temple. (Image provided by MOOK Editorial Department)

For this exhibition, various Mazu temples in Greater Taichung have brought out their treasured temple guardians, which are rarely publicly displayed. For example, the Qing Dynasty relic “Ancient Wooden Incense Burner” (1827) from the Hanxi Lecheng Temple is valued at over NT$10 million. The characters carved on the wooden piece are exquisitely detailed and lifelike, remarkably well-preserved, and uniquely distinctive. The “Wooden Carved Matsu, Qianliyan, Shunfeng’er, and Attendant Maidens” from the Dajia Zhenlan Temple are Qing Dynasty wooden carvings, featuring a more rustic design. From the 1970s to 1980s onward, as the economy took off, their colors and accessories became more elaborate and diverse.

 

The “Couplet” from the Shekou Wanxing Temple is a Qing Dynasty hand-carved wooden piece. Its content reads: “Wan y┖lu ren wei kui di chu di qi lu qian, shui zhai cong si wen ci jiao yi wang ?”, reflecting profound meaning and local characteristics. The “Shaojiao (ritual horn)” from the Nantun Wanhe Temple has a history of hundreds of years and is the oldest and best-preserved among the participating century-old temples, making it the most eye-catching item. The “Wood-Carved Incense Stick” from the Wujhi Chaoyuan Temple is also a Qing Dynasty relic, hand-printed on yellow paper. Nowadays, Mazu’s parade announcements are printed by machine, making wood-carved incense sticks quite rare.

The “Male Tiger and Female Tiger” from the Daliu Wanxing Temple were placed on the front beams of the temple gate before renovations and served to ward off evil spirits. These two wooden carvings remain vibrant in color to this day. The “Wooden Qilin Seat Incense Burner” from the Nantun Wanhe Temple is a Qing Dynasty Daoguang 20th Year (1840) relic, valued at up to NT$10 million. It was originally placed in the temple for worshippers’ offerings, but due to its extreme value, and to prevent damage or theft, experts advised it no longer be used for public worship. It is now housed in the temple’s relic museum.

 

The only Mazu without a dedicated temple—the Jiuzhuang Mazu—features as its main relic the “Ancient Divine Palanquin” used during the annual Jiuzhuang Mazu parade, provided by the Jiuzhuang Mazu Yearly Committee. This ancient palanquin is a Qing Dynasty relic with a long history, funded by residents of the nine villages in Xinshe and is already 129 years old.

In addition to the over 100 precious relics, the creative goods from each temple are incredibly diverse, including peace amulets, Mazu necklaces, phone charms, deity figurines, phone pouches, glass bead necklaces... and more. With adorable designs, they are especially popular with young people. Some creative goods are custom-made for festivals, such as the Nantun Wanhe Temple’s “Mazu Peace Necklace” and “Five Emperors Peace Charm,” which are now out of print and highly commemorative.

 

Additionally, during the exhibition period every Saturday and Sunday, animated film “The Legend of Mazu” and introductory videos about the eight major temples will be screened. Through lively, fun, and engaging presentations, they offer an easy-to-understand introduction to Mazu’s journey from birth to deification, as well as the exhibited relics, making the content both captivating and educational.

 

 

● Extended Reading: 2013 MOOK’s Selection – Top Luxury Travel Expo

http://event.tripass.net/travel-luxury-fair/main.html

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