The Toucheng Kaicheng Temple Chenghuang Temple, it is a Guanyin Temple combined with a City God Temple located in Xinjianli, Toucheng Town, Yilan County, Taiwan. It primarily worships Guanyin Bodhisattva and , with Wusha as a secondary deity..On the 30th day of the seventh lunar month, it holds a traditional 'Toucheng Ghost Grappling Festival' event.
History
It is said that the Guanyin statue in this temple was brought by Wu Sha in the first year of the Jiaqing reign (1796), when he led settlers to begin cultivation.A thatched hut was built near the present-day railway bridge over Fude Keng Creek to enshrine the statue。In the second year of Jiaqing（1797）a temple was built，called "Fozu Temple"。 The following year, Wu Sha passed away. In the fourth year of Jiaqing (1799), the people built Wu Sha Temple on the right side of the temple. A few years later, a left wing was added to honor Da Zhong Ye, which became known as the “Da Zhong Ye Temple."。 .
In the 25th year of Daoguang (1845), a flood in Fude Keng Creek revealed a statue believed to be the .The statue was then brought to the Fo Zu Miao and enshrined alongside the existing deities.。 .
In the 8th year of Emperor Xianfeng (1858), Wang Zhaohong, the county magistrate of Touwei County, erected a Monument of Glorious Deeds in front of Wushi Port. He also gathered the remains of local militia and established the Kailan Hero Shrine beside the temple, where an annual memorial ceremony is held on the 13th day of the 7th lunar month.。
In the third year of the Tongzhi reign (1864), the Fo Zu Temple and the Kailan Yingling Shrine were destroyed by floods. The following year, it was rebuilt at its current location and renamed "Kaicheng Temple". In the fifth year of the Tongzhi reign (1866), it was presented with a plaque with the inscription "CiYunPu Bei". In the eleventh year of the Tongzhi reign (1872), the Zhaode Shrine was built on the left side of Kaicheng Temple, enshrining , Wu Sha, Lai Keji, Xu Tiansong, Lin Hanzhong, Zhang Deming, He Changxing, Zhao Longsheng, Ke Youcheng, Wu Yifei, Huang Junzuo, and Lin. In the same year, it was presented with a plaque with the inscription "FayuPeilan".
In 1903, a spirit medium at the newly built General Temple claimed that the City God wished to have a dedicated temple. In response, local gentry such as Lin Zanwu, Lin Zhenli, Wu Shicheng, Wu Rui, Wu Chengkun, Li Xiu, Zou Wang, Huang Zhiyuan, and Chen Liang raised funds. However, due to delays, the Toucheng City God Temple was not completed and consecrated next to Kai Cheng Temple until the sixth day of the first lunar month in 1920. After a flood control embankment was built along Fude Keng Creek, the Fenglai Market, originally located by the creek, was relocated to the plaza in front of Kai Cheng Temple and the City God Temple.
In 1989, the management committees of Toucheng Kaicheng Temple and Toucheng Chenghuang Temple decided to merge the two temples. In October of that year, the old temple was demolished and the temple purchased an additional 260 pings of land to build a new 660 pings. At the end of April 1994, several century-old deity statues stored in a temporary metal shed were stolen. The City God Temple lost two statues of Dong Pai Ye, one each of the Seventh and Eighth Lords, one civil and one martial judge, two statues of the City God’s wife, and one of Zhusheng Niangniang . Kai Cheng Temple lost one statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva.
On October 14, 1998, at 10:30 a.m., an inauguration ceremony was held. Attendees included County Government Secretary-General Chen Yuanfa, Director of Civil Affairs Chen Mushui, Chairperson of the Provincial Fishermen’s Association Zheng Meilan, Chairman of the Temple Reconstruction Committee Qiu Jinyu, Chairman of the Temple Management Committee Zhuang Xicai, and Wu Dewang, the eighth-generation descendant of Wu Sha.
Statue
The temple’s City God statue is accompanied by statues of his children, which were donated by worshippers in the Year of the Dragon (1976). Initially, there were seven sons. To avoid the perception of favoring males over females, three daughter statues were later added.
The six officials statues that accompany the City God are said to have been carved by Luo Azhong from Toucheng. On October 21, 2005, Lee Yi-Hsing, a professor at Da-Yeh University, viewed the and praised them for breaking the traditional 1:4 scale used in deity sculpture. Instead, they were carved to be proportional to real human figures at a reduced size, with delicate expressions and lifelike postures — a rare style in Taiwan.
In 2007, the Lanyang Museum counted the number of the Shenmeng Association under this City God Temple system, with a total of 26 . During the Spring Festival processions, the temple’s deity figures participate in the parade. The procession is led by two small ghost figures, followed closely by Qing Ye (Lord Green) and Bai Ye (Lord White).
Pudu The religious events in Toucheng include "Toucheng Dabaibai" and" Toucheng QiangGu". The so-called "Toucheng QiangGu" is actually the last event of the Zhongyuan Festival at Kaicheng Temple in Toucheng.
The purpose of Kai Cheng Temple’s Zhongyuan Pudu (Universal Salvation Ritual) is closely related to the history of Toucheng’s early development. During the Jiaqing period, Wu Sha led settlers to cultivate the area, resulting in many casualties. Since many of those who died were single migrants without descendants to perform ancestral rites, local residents felt compelled to organize this ritual to honor and console the deceased.
Organizational Structure The four main roles collectively known as the “Four Great Pillars” or “Top Four Pillars” — Master of Ceremonies, Master of Rituals, Master of the Altar, and Master of Universal Salvation — are responsible for organizing key aspects of the Ghost Festival ceremonies. Each role is held by one individual.The Master of Ceremonies serves as the overall supervisor of the ritual altar.The Master of Rituals supervises the Taoist priests and is in charge of the religious ceremonies.The Master of the Altar is responsible for the construction and dismantling of the ritual altar.The Master of Universal Salvation oversees the Pudu ritual and handles offerings and charitable distributions.Below the Four Great Pillars, there are assistant roles such as Deputy Chairperson, Association Chairperson, City Chairperson, and Assistant Chairperson, collectively referred to as the “Four Minor Pillars” or “Lower Four Pillars,” who assist with execution and logistics.
For the “Dou Shou” (Section Heads), representatives are selected from Toucheng’s 24 village neighborhoods and from Baiyun and Yushi villages in Jiaoxi Township.When the Qiang Gu event was revived in 1991, new ceremonial roles were added: Lantern Chief, Treasure Chief, Hundred Blessings Chief, Peace Chief, Prosperity Chief, National Prosperity Chief, Wealth Chief, and Unity Chief .Originally, there was also a Water Official Chief, but since no group was willing to take on this role, it was removed.The Hundred Blessings Chief is held by the furnace master from the original Wuling Village 29 Corners Association.The Unity Chief is held by the furnace master of Xin Yi Society, an association formed by local vendors.The Auspicious Chief is held by a furnace master representing the town’s butchers and meat vendors.
The Annual Furnace Master is a fictional figure with the pseudonym for "Lin Biying". According to legend, vengeful wandering spirits displeased with the Pudu ritual might seek out the furnace master. As no one dares to take on the responsibility, a fictitious name is used instead.
Venue layout .In the past, the ceremonial site for both the Jiaoju and the Qiang Gu event was held in front of Kai Cheng Temple in Toucheng. However, since 2004, the event was relocated to Wushi Harbor, with only the Main Universal Salvation Altar remaining at Kai Cheng Temple. In addition to the main general Jiaoju held in Kaicheng Temple, the other three main Jiaoju altars, namely the Master of Ceremonies, Master of Rituals, and Master of the Altar, were set up in front of Wuying Tudigong Temple in Wuying Village, on the road behind in Chengnan Village, and in front of Xinjian General Temple in Xinjian Village.
On the first day of the seventh lunar month, a groundbreaking ceremony is held at the site. Bamboo is used to construct temporary structures. The Orphan Spirit Tower and the Food Offering Pavilion are erected to the left and right, respectively, in front of the ritual altar. A traditional performance stage is also set up behind the Orphan Tower. A spirit pole with lanterns is erected in front of the altar to invite deities and wandering spirits.The Three Pure Ones Altar must face another Three Pure Ones Altar. Paper effigies and symbolic paper structures — such as Da Shi Ye (Great Lord of the Afterlife), Hanlin Court, Common Return Pavilion, Gold Mountain, Silver Mountain, and Scripture Robe Mountain — are placed within sturdy, sheltered tents on both sides of the altar.
Jiaoju ceremony process From the Japanese occupation to 2000, the Jiaoju ceremony was conducted by Buddhists. Later, due to the initiative of local believers, the ceremony was changed to be conducted by Taoist priests of the Zhengyi school after throwing divination blocks in front of the gods.