Tianhou Temple, located at Zhanghus County, is one of the most important relics in Taiwan Province. It is the number one temple among 400 odd Mazu Temples.
Tianhou Temple was built in 1685 (the 24th year of Emperor Kang Xi's reign of the Qing Dynasty) by a Fujiangese of Xinghua County residing at Lungang through donation. It is also called "Xinghua Maxu Temple". It is one of the "Four Biggest Maxus" with magnificent and imposing building and majestic and grand halls.
Standing on the square in front of Tianhou Temple, there is a huge memorial archway, inside which there are a temple gate, dragon designed pillars, stone walls and stone lintels, all in refined sculpture and paintings with the historical stories as the background, a rare relic. The Palace was built with two parts, the front one and back one, inside both of which the statues of Mazu are enshrined. There hung two boards in the main hall, on which the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Qien Long inscribed "You Ji Zhao Ling (Effective Protection of Sea " and "Shen Zhao Hai Biao (Diving Might Overseas)" and stamped the imperial Jade Seal respectively. Besides, there hangs also a board inscribed by another Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Guang Xu, "Yu Tian Tong Gong (As Mighty As Divine)". Besides the statue of Mazu, the statues of Farsighted God and Well-Informed God of wood sculpture, done by artists of mainland, vivid in expression, are also enshrined there. On the left and right sides, there stand Dragon Mansion and Phoenix Tower, called respectively Dressing Mansion and Paradise Gong Tower. Ascending atop, the panoramic view of ancient township all comes into sight.
Tianhou Temple enjoys very high rank among different Mazu Temples. People call it "Ancestress Goddess". It is due to the large number of worshippers attracted here, that the statues have been blackened from pink to dark color by burning joss sticks for a long time, therefore believers call it "Goddess of Many Paces". Every time when the birth day of Mazu, March, 23 of lunar calendar, arrives, 70 odd statues of Mazu Temples, subordinate to Tianhou Temple all over Taiwan are to sit in imperial carriages. They pay homage to the principle Mazu Temple, with huge crowds of people turning out, a grand and spectacular occasion indeed.
