At the end of Heping Old Street sits a century-old temple that gives the solemn atmosphere to the hustle and bustle of the streets. Fu Ren Temple is also called the big temple by locals. In 1813, immigrants from Zhangzhou wanted to save the trouble of tracing though Dakekan River to worship Saint King Kai-Jang. Lee Bing-sheng (Father of Le Teng-fang), Lu Fan-tiao, Lin Ben-yuan thus raised funds to build the temple. In present day, Fu Ren Temple is not only an important religious venue for Zhangzhou descendants but also home to local gods of Hakka, Teochew as well as Quanzhou, which is extremely rare. During the Japanese invasion, Fu Ren Temple established a civilian protection bureau. During Japanese colonial rule, it became a military hospital. After reconstruction for two times, it is now one of the largest temples in Daxi. If you’re interested in temple fairs, “Divine Pig Contest” on February 11th in the Chinese Lunar Calendar is definitely something to see. To celebrate Saint King Kai-Jang’s birthday, ten families take turns to contribute a divine pig. The divine pig is painted by a professional and sent to Fu Ren Temple plaza as a tribute. Followers gather to join the parade with beiguan playing traditional music and traditional drama. The divine pig contest dates back over a century. As time progresses, the actual pig is now commonly replaced with “creative pigs” made with birthday buns, rice noodles, oranges and other food ingredients. It may not be the same, but it still is a distinguished event worth anticipating. Fu Ren Temple covers a total area of more than 990 square meters. It has three palaces, each roof has a jia-sse-chui design. Central hall or wing each is supported with two dragon pillars. The height of the main palace is equivalent with that of the rear palace symbolizing the equal status of all gods worshiped in the temple. The temple courtyard divided into two by Heping Old Street used to be where kids play spinning tops and villagers chat casually. Though it is now a parking lot and a venue for community activities, the hospitality and abundant history is never going away.
1. Qiaotou parking lot offers 15 parking spaces for large cars and 418 parking spaces for compact cars. 2. City Office parking lot offers 45 parking spaces for compact cars. 3. Tinger parking lot offers 82 parking spaces for compact cars. 4. Yuemei parking lot offers 8 parking spaces for large cars and 130 parking spaces for compact cars.
