Tainan Travel

Xishe Xilong Temple (西社西㡣殿) mainly enshrines Chi Fu Qian Sui (池府千歲) who protects the people of Xishe. The temple is where believers come to pray for safety at sea and to handle various other religious matters. It also enshrines a large number of other gods, the most obvious of which are Hsieh Fu and Huang Fu Yuan Shuai(謝府及黃府元帥), large statues of which can be seen on the left and right side of the main hall, respectively. It is noticeable that the image of the God of Earth (土地公) in the temple is very different to what most people are accustomed to; wearing a skullcap and mandarin jacket, he holds a large pipe in his hand; it is said that Wang Ji-shi, a kind-hearted member of the local gentry, was the inspiration for the distinctive appearance of the statue. As the God of Earth holds a pipe, believers often offer sacrifices of cigarettes. The distinctive God of Earth statue is one of the highlights for tourists. There is a narrow cave-Anle Cave(鳥行山-安樂洞) behind second floor Qingyun Temple(清雲寺); it is said that people who pass through the cave will enjoy protection. Those who are confident they won’t get stuck can try going through!