Taichung Lecheng Temple
Main Deities
About
The longest Mazu pilgrimage in all Taiwan is right here — the Hanxi Mazu 'Procession of the Eighteen Villages' runs for a full 22 days. Commonly called the 'Hanxi Mazu Temple,' Taichung Lecheng Temple in Taichung's East District is the oldest Mazu temple in central Taichung, listed as a national third-grade historic site and dedicated to Mazu (the Heavenly Holy Mother). Rebuilt under the master craftsman Chen Yingbin, its wood and stone carving are exquisite. Beyond Mazu's efficacy, Lecheng Temple's 'Yue Lao Hall' is famous across Taiwan, hailed as 'the most effective Matchmaker in central Taiwan,' drawing countless single men and women each year to pray for love and joining together many a couple. To pray to Mazu and seek a good match too — here, both wishes are answered at once.
History
During the Jiaqing reign (around the 1810s), worshippers from the Lukang area of Changhua pooled their funds to build a small temple beside the Han Stream — the forerunner of Lecheng Temple. As the area was reclaimed and developed, the temple was gradually expanded and more deities enshrined, until it became the most important center of faith along the Han Stream. Under Japanese rule the temple engaged the master craftsman Chen Yingbin to lead a large-scale reconstruction, his consummate wood and stone carving setting the architectural layout of today; after the war it was renovated again and a rear hall added. The temple still preserves Qing-dynasty stelae, plaques, and other relics recording the footsteps of the early settlers. From a small temple by the Han Stream to a center of faith whose incense endures and whose procession winds through eighteen villages, Lecheng Temple has always been bound tightly to the daily faith and community life of local people.
Taichung Lecheng Temple
East District, Taichung City
Visitor Info
Address
No. 48, Hanxi St, East District, Taichung City
Region
East District, Taichung City