[2025 Tainan Attraction] Travel Guide for Tainan Grand Mazu Temple (Updated Feb)

Datianhou Temple, commonly known as Tainan Mazu Temple, was built in the 23rd year of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1684 AD). The Tianhou Temple has undergone several renovations and is listed as a historic site in Taiwan. The Queen of Heaven is Mazu, the goddess that boatmen, sailors, travelers, merchants and fishermen of all dynasties believe in together. Taiwan's Mazu culture is particularly strong, which is related to the fishermen's culture along the coast. Before the ship sails, it is necessary to make sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven, to pray for good wind and safety, and to enshrine the Queen of Heaven on the ship. Among the nearly 400 Mazu temples in Taiwan, Datianhou Temple is the only Mazu temple included in the official Spring and Autumn Festival. The statues and sculptures in the temple are all from the hands of famous craftsmen. The precious richness of ancient plaques and ancient couplets is even rarer in temples in Taiwan. Datianhou Palace can be divided into four main parts, Sanchuan Hall, worship hall, main hall and apse, which are called "four entrances". In front of the main hall, there is a Danchi stone wall, carved with flying dragons, treading waves and soaring clouds, quite imposing, rare in other temples, fully showing the style of imperial architecture. When you come to the main entrance, the first thing you see is a pair of stone lions in front of the door, which are finely carved and unique in shape. The entrance gate is tall and majestic. It does not have the painted door gods of traditional temples, but it is equipped with many protruding wooden nails. On both sides are the figures of eight horses and dragons and tigers carved from granite, which are majestic and rough. Looking inward from the gate of the main hall, through the elevated patio and the narrow space of the house, you can see the full-body statue of Mazu shrouded in cigarettes and under the golden curtain. Mazu has kind eyes, kind eyes, and a serene demeanor. It is said that Mazu was originally pink noodles, but after being surrounded by incense for hundreds of years, the Mazu you see now has become a black "cigarette noodles". This statue was made by a Quanzhou master about 300 years ago, and it can be said to be one of the representatives of Taiwanese clay sculptures. The shrines on both sides of the statue of Mazu also enshrine the dragon king of the east, west, south and north and the narcissus king. In addition, another feature of the temple is that in addition to the Mazu in the main hall called aunt, there are also so-called "second mother" and "third mother" Mazu statues, whose shape is only half of the aunt's, with a pink face and two eyes. Open, it is different from the drooping eyelids of the Mazu statue. You may wish to visit it when you have time.