Dongshi Yong’an Temple (東勢永安宮) - Spectral Codex
Spectral Codex
東勢永安宮

Locations

The Lord Carp Temple (鯉魚伯公廟), officially Yong’an Temple (永安宮), is a distinctive shrine built at the head of a stone embankment along the Dajia River (大甲溪) in Dongshi, Taichung. The embankment originated in the late 18th or early 19th century, not long after the beginning of Han Chinese settlement in this area, as a means of providing some protection against periodic flooding. The sweep of the embankment bears a resemblance to the shape of a carp, with the stones giving an impression of fish scales at a distance. The temple itself features an unusual open-sided design with only necessary support columns and no walls, allowing it to symbolically contain the carp-shaped embankment beneath.

The entrance to the temple from the streets above.
The entrance to the temple from the streets above.
The main altar at the “head” of the carp.
The main altar at the “head” of the carp.
Another look at the stone embankment venerated as a local deity in Dongshi.
Another look at the stone embankment venerated as a local deity in Dongshi.
Following the sweep of the embankment out the back of the temple.
Following the sweep of the embankment out the back of the temple.
The steepness of the embankment is more apparent from below.
The steepness of the embankment is more apparent from below.
Decorative carp in the parkland next to the embankment.
Decorative carp in the parkland next to the embankment.
This is the Stone Mother (石母), another object of worship at this temple.
This is the Stone Mother (石母), another object of worship at this temple.

Map

Address: 台中市東勢區東安里文化街123號

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Profile photo of Alexander Synaptic, founder of Spectral Codex
Alexander Synaptic
Curator, Spectral Codex

I am a web application developer, photojournalist, urban explorer, and history enthusiast passionate about the open web and documenting my experiences on this planet. This project was founded in the early 2010s and has evolved into a sort of personal Wikipedia of places that interest me (and often the photographs I’ve taken there). I’m originally from Toronto, Canada, but spend most of my time residing in Taiwan.