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> A Brief History of Taipei Tianhou Temple, Ximending
> Tainan First, Lugang Second, and Mankah the Third as Top Three Ports in the 18 Century Taiwan
> A Predestined Relationship between Tamsui Basin and Mazu
> Qing Dynasty-the Xinxing Temple in Mankah
> Japanese Colonization Period-Hongfa Temple of the Holy Word Sect
> From Hongfa Temple to Taipei Tianhou Temple
 
 
 A Predestined Relationship between Tamsui Basin and Mazu 
 
  In the Qing period, the Tamsui River was indispensable to the urban development along the riverside. Take a close look back at the reclamation history of the Taipei Basin, and you will discover that towns first appeared around the mouth area, such as Bali and Tamsui, before gradually extending along the river to the inlandXinjuang, Mankah, Songshan ( formerly known as Xikou), Dadao Zheng, Shilin and Nangang. When early immigrants traveled across the sea to Taiwan, they took with them incense ash or the deities they worshipped in their hometowns in seek of spiritual peace as well as ease the sense of insecurity felt in the new environment and the fear that they might not be able to make a living. To express their appreciation for the protection and blessing from the deities, they continued to worship them in Taiwan. As the number of believers continued to increase, temples were also built up for consecration. During the Qing Court's rule over Taiwan, shipping by boat was very important to the lives of ordinary people. Therefore, marketplaces were often found in pier areas along the river, and temples were built nearby because of the crowd. While Mazu was esteemed as the navigation goddess, Mazu temples were widely built and worshipped by the port. Most Mazu temples have the frontdoor facing right toward the mountaintop across the river for good geomancy ( fengshui ) and the protection of the people on ships.

  According to the local historical records, the development of Mazu temples in northern Taiwan was indeed closely correlated in time to the urban development of Tamsui River area. The Tienfei Temple ( now known as the Taipei Guandou Temple ) was built in Tamsui Guandou Gate during the regime of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. The records also have it that another Tianhou Temple ( now known as Xinzhuang Ciyou Temple ) appeared in Xinzhuang during the regime of Emperor Yuengzheng. During the regime of Emperor Qianlong, Tianhou temples in Mankah ( known as Xinxing Temple, forerunner of Taipei Tianhou Temple ), Xikou ( now the Ciyou Temple in Songshan ), and Bali ( washed away together with the city wall and streets in a flood during the regime of Emperor Jiaqing ) were respectively built. Tianhou temples also appeared on JiLan Street (now the Cicheng Temple in Shilin ) and Dadao Zheng ( later moved toward the inland area and is now the Cicheng Temple in Dadao Zheng ) during the regime of Emperors Jiaqing and Tongzhi. During the regime of Emperor Guangxui ( 142 years after Xinxing Temple was built ), the local government established the Taipei Prefecture Tianhou Temple in the back street of the Taipei Prefecture Office to express thanksgiving for the efficacy of Mazu. ( The Taipei Prefecture Office was originally located behind the National Taiwan Museum in 228 Memorial Park, consecrating two Mazu statutes with gold plated on the face. In 1913, however, the Japanese colonial government demolished the temple for the construction of the Kogama Gentaroo Memorial Hall. It was said that the bigger statue was carried to China by President Tang Jing-song of the Taiwan Democratic Republic, and the smaller one to the northern coast by a native of Sanji). In 2004, Taipei City Government organized the Welcome Home Mazu event at the 120th anniversary of Taipei's birth, clearly demonstrating that the power of religious culture should never be overlooked even to this day.
 
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