Gongfan Temple

Mailiao Gongfan Temple (Chinese: 麥寮拱範宮; pinyin: Màiliáo Gǒngfàn Gōng) is a Mazu temple located in Mailiao, Yunlin County, Taiwan. The temple is protected as a national monument, the highest designation for a historical site within Taiwan.[1]

Gongfan Temple
拱範宮
Entrance of Gongfan Temple
Religion
AffiliationChinese folk religion
DeityMazu
Location
LocationMailiao, Yunlin
CountryTaiwan
Geographic coordinates23.7482°N 120.2557°E / 23.7482; 120.2557
Architecture
Completed1742
Direction of façadeWest
Official name: 國定古蹟麥寮拱範宮
TypeTemple
Designated18 September 2012

History

Gongfan Temple's history can be traced to 1685, when a Linji school monk named Chunzhen Chanshi (純真禪師) traveled across the Taiwan Strait from Meizhou Island in mainland China to a settlement west of downtown Mialiao known as Haifeng Port (海豐港). A temple was built there to house the Mazu statue that Chunzhen Chanshi carried, which is known as Kaishan Liuma (開山六媽). In 1742, Haifeng Port was destroyed by a flood on the Xinhuwei River, so the temple was moved to its current location.[1][2]

In 1800, the temple was reconstructed and enlarged, funded by local residents. In 1827, a rear hall was added to worship Guanyin, built on land donated by a local businessman, into its current three by three grid formation. In 1874, the building showed signs of deterioration; even though some proposed to repair the temple, the construction halted halfway due to insufficient funding. A flood in 1898 dealt serious damage to the building, especially the two side halls. Therefore, with the permission of the Japanese government, the temple was reconstructed from 1906 to 1908. Subsequent floods and termites damaged the building again, so between 1930 and 1937, the temple was repaired. This time, craftsmen were hired from all over the island and even mainland China, significantly improving the architecture of the buildings.[1][2]

In 2006, in recognition of the temple's historical and architectural value, the Yunlin County government protected the temple on the county level. In 2012, the temple became a national monument.[3] According to the Bureau of Cultural Heritage, the temple was primarily protected for the historical artifacts dating from the 1930 reconstruction.[1] The most recent construction ran between 2011 and 2018, funded by the national government, the temple itself, and the Formosa Plastics Group.[4]

Deities

Gongfan Temple is primarily dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu, who is known by the name "Kaishan Liuma" (開山六媽) within the temple. The Mazu statue is located in the main hall. Other deities also in the temple include:[2]

  • Main hall, dedicated to Mazu
  • Rear hall, dedicated to Guanyin

References
  1. "國定古蹟麥寮拱範宮". National Cultural Heritage Database Management System (in Chinese). Bureau of Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  2. "麥寮拱範宮". Center for GIS (in Chinese). Academia Sinica. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  3. 張朝欣 (23 October 2018). "國定古蹟拱範宮媽祖廟 斥資上億元整修重現風華". China Times. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  4. 李政遠 (22 July 2018). "國定古蹟麥寮拱範宮 斥資1.4億重修完工" (in Chinese). Apple Daily. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
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