Chiayi Zhenan Temple

A temple in the old Guogouzai (過溝仔) neighbourhood of Chiayi, founded during the Daoguang era as Wu’anjing Temple (五安境廟) to venerate Wufu Qiansui (五府千歲), the Five Royal Lords. In 1876 the deity Xuantian Shangdi (玄天上帝) is said to have warned residents in dreams of an impending earthquake; the quake duly toppled the temple, and the grateful community rebuilt it as the Zhenan Temple, with Xuantian Shangdi installed as the new principal deity. The temple’s earlier site eventually redeveloped and a new home on Minzu Road was built in 1957. Its associated Bajiajiang (八家將) troupe, founded in 1963, was registered as a folklore heritage item by the city in 2019.