Chijin Tianhou Temple, A Sanctuary of Spirited Devotion and Heritage

93 Miaoqian Road, Cijin District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 805

Worship Mazu

4.1

Introduction

From the Qijin Ferry Terminal, you can start walking along the route of Qijin Old Street, where you will see many shops selling seafood products and local snacks. Soon, you will reach the oldest temple in Kaohsiung City - Qijin Tianhou Temple. This temple was built in 1673 (27th year of the Ming dynasty under Zheng Yongli). At that time, a group of fishermen from Fujian, China drifted to Qijin during a typhoon and found it to be a good place for fishing and settling down. They invited their families and fellow villagers to migrate to Qijin, bringing along the statue of Mazu from Meizhou. With the help and donations from local gentry, the Mazu temple was gradually built. The present Tianhou Temple is a structure with two halls and two guardian rooms. Despite several renovations, it still retains the classical carvings, mud sculptures, and paper cutting both inside and outside. The main deity worshipped in Tianhou Temple is Mazu, also known as the Mazu Palace, and many people come to pray throughout the year. As it is the first Mazu temple in Kaohsiung City, it was designated as a third-class historic site by the government in 1979.