Tainan Travel

Hubi Temple (護庇宮), located on Zhongzheng Road (中正路) in Yanshui district (鹽水區), is one of Taiwan’s earliest Matsu temples, and it traces its origins back to 1623. With almost 400 years of history, the temple dates to a time when merchant vessels would pass through Yuejin Harbor (月津港), and it was a place where the citizens of Yanshui town would seek blessings. At that time a whole variety of trades and occupations flourished at the harbor edge, and Hubi Temple was an eternal partner during the development of Yanshui. Within the temple, the Door God (門神) was painted by nationally-renowned painter Pan Li-shui(潘麗水), and it is both vivid and lifelike, regardless of which angle it is observed from. Pan painted the dazzling paintings within this space whilst he was still relatively young; and as an example, the beard of the Door God has been painted with a meticulous technique that individually delineates every single hair. In front of the main temple, Qianliyan (Thousandmile Eyes) and Shunfeng’er (Favourablewind Ear) sit as guardians of Matsu, and both statues have been in place since 1716. The three hundred years of history embodied by the pair are reflective of the treasure trove of cultural relics and old stories of Yanshui encapsulated within this space.