Fengyi Kaizhang Shengwang Temple

Fengshan Kaizhang Shengwang Temple is located in the neighborhood of the Zhongshan West Road and Qingnian Road intersection in Fengshan District, Kaohsiung. It is an ancient temple built during the rule of Jiaqing of the Qing Dynasty, and it now has more than 200 years of history. Along with the Shuangci Temple, Chenghuang Temple, and Longshan Temple within the County, they are considered the four major ancient temples in the downtown area. Kaizhang Shengwang was originally named Chen Yuan-guang and was the great pioneer for pacifying the Southern Barbarians during the Tang Dynasty and founding and developing the place of Zhangzhou. Later, Chen was stabbed and killed by a bandit. In appreciation of his superior contributions, the imperial court ordered the establishment of a temple dedicated to Chen and a “Forever Worshipping for His Sacred Deeds” monument to recognize his accomplishments. Since Chen’s contributions for Zhangzhou before he passed away symbolized a profound meaning, Chen became a major spiritual source and many followed his religious beliefs for the people of Zhangzhou, China. Later, as they came to Taiwan to cultivate the new land and settle down here, they also built a temple here to worship Chen as they wished for their cultivation to go smoothly and for a peaceful life, giving the temple the function of comforting people’s minds.

Besides the statue of the main deity worshipped Kaizhang Shengwang, Kaizhang Shengwang Temple also worships the statues of General Ma Ren and General Li Bo-yao. The current temple exterior is the result of many renovations. The stone sculpture on the wall shows exquisite craftsmanship, vividly telling about Shengwang’s brave and patriotic achievements in the past. The temple is one of the major religious centers in the local area. Near Zhongshan West Road, a decorated archway was built, which has become a well-known local landmark. Its courtyard has a vast space and often served as the location for election campaign rallies, arts and cultural activities, festival events and other assembly activities.