In 1811, a terrible epidemic broke out in Taoyuan. People raised funds to build a temple hoping to cure with religious will. The construction was finalized in two years and the temple was named Jing Fu Gong. The temple structure was divided into three sections that are the front hall, middle hall and rear hall. The three plagues gifted to the temple at its opening ceremony are still in place today as proof of the temple’s significance to the locals. Jing Fu Gong originally worships King Kai-Jang and Kuantan Marshal. Later on, buddhist gods, taoist gods, ancestral of various industries, Quanzhou god, Matsu and many other were included, demonstrating diversity in religions. An annual pilgrim procession to Ren He Gong in Daxi and Wu Fu Gong in Nankan takes place on January 17th in the Chinese Lunar Calendar, attracting tens of thousands of followers. Celebration on King Kai-Jang’s birthday lasts ten days which include live drama performances and rituals starting on February 15th in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. The more than 100-year old Jing Fu Gong possess highly precious artistic values in its architectural details. Its majestic jia-sse-chui design on the roof is rarely seen. What’s more, it’s incredible quantity and variety of Chi Tiger Arches can be found nowhere else in Taiwan. Intricate stone carvings, wood carvings and paintings inside the temple were all proud works of known masters which are just as marvelous as the ones in a famous foreign church. This temple that the locals refer to as “major temple” is not only a religious center but a key pivot where urban development kicked off. Early development of Zhongzheng Road and Minsheng road started from Jing Fu Gong, then came villages and business districts in the surrounding areas. Having witnessed a century’s ups and downs, Jing Fu Gong is now the media that tells of the story of this land.
