Jiji Wuchang Temple, Jiji Township, Nantou County, Taiwán
If you have the chance to visit Jiji Township in Nantou, you might encounter this collapsed temple and don’t understand why it has not been cleaned up at all. Venerating the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven, the incense-choked Wuchang Temple is almost a century old now and still serves as a center of faith among locals.
In 1999, a devastating earthquake struck the center of the island, and Jiji was the nearest town to the epicenter of the quake. Wuchang Temple sadly toppled over during the disaster. The Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven then appeared in someone’s dream and made a request to be rescued. The worshippers eventually found his statue buried under the debris. They relocated him at the altar, while his beard started to grow! No one could explain this phenomenon, while myriads of believers continue to flood the temple only to witness the miracle.
After the earthquake, the temple management decided to keep the remainder of the building, leaving the upper half of the building and the ornate roof resting on the ground, and to build up a brand new temple right in front of the remainder. It’s an almost surreal sight, serving as a sobering reminder of the catastrophe.
Epic Taiwan Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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