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The Origin
The record of ancient book
Since Cing Dynasty, Yuan-Shuai Temple has been being prosperity.
Taking a group photo of the committee in 1913A.D.
According to the investigation of Kaohsiung City Archives, During Cing Dynasty(1644A.D.-1911A.D.), there were only two temples in Youchang:Yuan-Shuai Temple and San-Shan-Guo-Wang Temple (Temple of the Three Mountain-Kings). Therefore we can know: Yuan-Shuai Temple is the temple which set up first in Youchang area, and it is also the faith centre of Youchang locals.
Though the time that Yuan-Shuai Temple sets up is unable to confirm (probably in 1661A.D), but the scale of Yuan-Shuai Temple was very grand in Cing Dynasty. It occupied on the important position of the traffic routes, therefore its development was unusual prosperity, believers or devotees were very many, businessmen and shops gathered around it too.
The origin of Yuan-Shuai Temple
Mr. Chu-Hua Sun's research and her book.
The main deity of Yuan-Shuai Temple, Marshal Liou.
There are four Chinese characters, Min-Zu-Ying-Syong(national hero), in the board.
The ancestors of four families were also worshiped in Yuan-Shuai Temple.
With the research writted by Mr. Chu-Hua Sun and with the narration told by Miao-Gong(Person administering the affairs of temple), we rearranged these information why Yuan-Shuai Temple was set up, and they were summed up as follows:
Yuan-Shuai Temple mainly offers sacrifices to seven marshals¡G Marshal Liou, Marshal Sie, Marshal Chen, Marshal Chang, Marshal Tang, Marshal Chen and Marshal Jhang. It is said that Yuan-Shuai Temple was built probably in 1661A.D., when some soldiers were sent to set up a camp named "the Right Camp" in Youchang area by Jheng Cheng-gong of the Ming Dynasty. In order to inspire and encourage all the soldiers to follow the example of chinese national heroes, this temple was built as the faith center of all the soldiers. Besides, the ancestors of four families¡V Chang, Tang, Chen and Jhang, were also worshiped here in the temple. This is why there are now so many people of these four family names in Youchang area. For the past three hundred years, this temple has been damaged and rebuilt several times. The present Yuan-Shuai Temple was rebuilt in 1948A.D. and came out with the magnificent style and features.
- Bibliography
- ¡·Kaohsiung City Achieve. The history of Kaohsiung. Kaohsiung city Publishing, 1988.
- ¡·Chu-Hua Sun. The history and worship ceremony of Youchang four major temples. Kaohsiung City: the committee of Yuan-Shuai Temple Publishing, 2002.