Donglong Temple

According to temple tradition, residents of Donggang founded this temple in 1706 after timber stamped with the mark Donggang Wenji (東港溫記) washed ashore, taken as a sign that Wenfu Qiansui (溫府千歲), a wangye revered by fishermen and settlers from southern Fujian, wished to settle here. The first temple collapsed in a flood in 1894 and was rebuilt on a new site, and post-war rebuilding added the gilded gateway known as the Golden Archway (黃金牌樓). Every three years the temple hosts the Donggang Yingwang Ping’an Festival (東港迎王平安祭典), designated an important folklore (重要民俗) in 2010, which ends after eight days with the burning of a wooden wangye boat to carry pestilence out of town. Suspended after 1937 and revived in 1952, the festival has been held in October since 1955, when organizers staged it under the banner of Double Ten celebrations to obtain a permit under martial law.