Fuhai Temple
{{short description|Temple in Changhua County, Taiwan}}
{{Infobox religious building|name=Fuhai Temple|native_name=福海宮
|native_name_lang=zh-tw|religious_affiliation=Taoism|image=王功福海宮.JPG|image_upright=|alt=|caption=Exterior of the temple|map_type=|coordinates={{Coord|23.9532|120.3347|display=inline,title}}|map_size=|map_alt=|map_relief=|map_caption=|location=Fangyuan, Changhua County|deity=Mazu|country=Taiwan|website=|year_completed=1812|facade_direction=West}}
Wanggong Fuhai Temple ({{lang-zh|t=王功福海宮|p=Wánggōng Fúhǎi Gōng}}) is a temple located in Wanggong, Fangyuan Township, Changhua County, Taiwan. The temple is dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu.
History
Like most coastal villages, Wanggong had a small temple dedicated to Mazu to pray for the protection of its fishermen. In 1812, {{ill|Yang Gui-sen|zh|楊桂森}}, a Qing Dynasty official serving as the Changhua County magistrate, visited Changhua County's coast. When Yang reached Wanggong, he noticed that Wanggong sits in a place with good feng shui and called for a larger Mazu temple to be built, hence the origin of Fuhai Temple. When Yang was returning to mainland China, only the main hall of Fuhai Temple was completed; Yang instructed that any further construction must be overseen by another government official. In honor of Yang, Fuhai Temple was left untouched, and fell into disrepair.{{cite web |title=福海宮 |url=http://crgis.rchss.sinica.edu.tw/temples/ChanghuaCounty/fangyuan/0723007-FHG |website=Cultural Resources Geographical Information System |publisher=Academia Sinica |access-date=25 November 2020 |language=zh-tw}}
In 1958, Wanggong residents petitioned for Changhua County's governor {{ill|Chen Xi-qing|zh|陳錫卿}} to refurbish the temple, which he agreed and attended the groundbreaking ceremony. According to legend, immediately after the ceremony, Wanggong's milkfish production unexpectedly surged. The villagers believed that Mazu had blessed the town and donated money into Fuhai Temple's reconstruction, and the project was completed in a year.
Architecture
Fuhai Temple is divided into a main hall and a rear hall. Mazu is seated in the main hall accompanied by her guardians Qianliyan and Shunfeng'er. The rear hall is three-stories tall that includes altars for Guanyin, the Eighteen Arhats, and the Jade Emperor, as well as lodging for visiting pilgrims.{{cite web |title=王功福海宮 |url=https://town.chcg.gov.tw/fangyuan/06travel/travel01_con.asp?new_id=805 |website=Fangyuan Township Government |access-date=25 November 2020 |language=zh-tw |date=11 March 2014}}
Traditions
Fuhai Temple's celebrates the annual Wanggong Fireworks Festival (王功漁火節), which is the biggest event of the year in Wanggong. The festival's dates are determined by Mazu through poe divination in the temple,{{cite news |author1=陳雅芳 |title=王功漁火節擲筊福海宮媽祖擇定8月15、16日登場 |url=https://tw.news.yahoo.com/%E5%BD%B1-%E7%8E%8B%E5%8A%9F%E6%BC%81%E7%81%AB%E7%AF%80%E6%93%B2%E7%AD%8A%E7%A6%8F%E6%B5%B7%E5%AE%AE%E5%AA%BD%E7%A5%96%E6%93%87%E5%AE%9A8%E6%9C%8815-16%E6%97%A5%E7%99%BB%E5%A0%B4-150122214.html |access-date=25 November 2020 |agency=Now News |publisher=Yahoo! |date=6 June 2020 |language=zh-tw}} and the temple grounds is one of the host sites for various events throughout the festival.{{cite news |author1=簡慧珍 |title=王功漁火節首日進場人數再破紀錄 明天風雨無阻放煙火 |url=https://udn.com/news/story/7325/4784731 |access-date=25 November 2020 |agency=United Daily News |date=15 August 2020 |language=zh-tw}}