Text by / MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Network, reported by Li Meixiu
The “2013 Taichung International Mazu Tourism and Culture Festival” has officially kicked off ! In addition to enjoying exciting performances, the Taichung City Government’s Cultural Affairs Bureau has gathered Mazu temples with over a century of history from across Greater Taichung, presenting the “Guardians of the Land – Mazu Cultural Relics and Creative Crafts Exhibition” at the Taichung Harbor Art Center. Featuring over 100 rarely seen Mazu cultural relics and creative crafts from temples such as the Dajia Chenlan Temple, Hanxi Lecheng Temple, Nantun Wanhe Temple, Wuchi Haotian Temple, Shekou Wanxing Temple, Wuchi Chaoyuan Temple, Dazu Wanxing Temple, and the Jiuzhuang Mazu Yearly Committee, the exhibition includes ancient wooden incense burners, wood-carved incense sticks, wooden kylin-base incense burners, wooden carved Mazu statues, plaques from the Meizhou Tianhou Temple, and ancient divine palanquins. On display in Exhibition Room A of the Harbor Art Center from now until May 19th, the exhibit allows the public to experience the unique charm of Mazu up close.
The 2013 Taichung Mazu International Tourism and Culture Festival showcases the Qing Dynasty relic “Ancient Wooden Incense Burner” from the Hanxi Lecheng Temple. (Photo provided by MOOK Editorial Department)
For this exhibition, Mazu temples across Greater Taichung have brought out their treasured temple guardians, which are rarely displayed to the public. For example, the Hanxi Lecheng Temple’s Qing Dynasty relic “Ancient Wooden Incense Burner” (dated 1827), valued at over NT$10 million, features exquisitely carved figures that are vivid and lifelike, remarkably well-preserved and uniquely styled. The Dajia Chenlan Temple’s “Wood-Carved Mazu, Qianliyan, Shunfeng’er, and Attendant Maidens” are Qing Dynasty wood carvings, with a relatively simple design. From the 1970s to 1980s onward, due to economic growth, the colors and accessories became more elaborate and diverse.
The “Couplet” from Shekou Wanxing Temple was hand-carved from wood during the Qing Dynasty, bearing the inscription “Wan y┖lu ren wei hai qi qing shen, shui zai chu cong shi wu wei min”, praising the god’s compassionate protection for the people. The wood carving exhibits profound symbolism. The Nanhui Chaotian Temple’s “Conch Shell,” also over a century old, is the oldest and best-preserved ceremonial conch among all participating century-old temples in this exhibition, making it a major highlight. The Wuchi Chaoyuan Temple’s “Wood-Carved Incense Stick” is another Qing Dynasty artifact, printed manually on yellow paper. Nowadays, Mazu’s temple processions use machine-printed paper notices, making the wood-carved incense stick quite rare.
The “Male Tiger and Female Tiger” from Dazu Wanxing Temple were placed on the front beams of the temple gates before the temple was renovated during the Qing Dynasty, serving a role in warding off evil spirits. Both are wooden carvings and still retain bright, vivid colors today. The Nantun Wanhe Temple’s “Wooden Kylin-Base Incense Burner” is a Qing Dynasty relic from the 20th year of the Daoguang reign (1840), valued at up to NT$10 million. Originally placed in the temple for worshippers to offer incense, due to its extreme value and to prevent damage or theft, experts recommended it no longer be used for worship. It is now housed in the temple’s cultural relics museum.
The only Mazu without a dedicated temple—the Jiuzhuang Mazu—features as its key relic the “Ancient Divine Palanquin” used during the annual Jiuzhuang Mazu procession to escort her. Provided by the Jiuzhuang Mazu Yearly Committee, this Qing Dynasty palanquin has a long history. Funded by residents of nine villages in Xinshe District, it is now 129 years old.
In addition to over a hundred precious cultural relics, the creative crafts from each temple are incredibly diverse, including peace amulets, Mazu necklaces, phone charms, deity figurines, phone pouches, glass bead necklaces…etc. With cute designs, they are especially popular with younger visitors. Some creative products are made for specific holidays—for example, Nantun Wanhe Temple’s “Mazu Peace Necklace” and “Five Emperors Peace Charm” are now out of print, making them highly commemorative.
Additionally, during the exhibition period every Saturday and Sunday, animated film “The Legend of Mazu” and introduction videos of eight major temples will be screened. Through lively, vivid, and fun presentations, these films offer an accessible and in-depth look at Mazu’s journey from birth to deification, as well as the exhibited relics—delivering both engaging and educational content.
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