Xinwu Changxiang Temple

Date CapturedOctober 31st, 2015 at 03:24 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IIApertureƒ / 8Shutter Speed1/250 secFocal Length20.0 mmISO200Exposure Value14.0 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

A large rural temple venerating Shennong (神農), the God of Agriculture, a fitting patron for Xinwu, the largest rice-growing district in Taoyuan. Also known as Wugu Xiandi Temple (五穀先帝廟), it traces its origins to a small earthen-brick shrine established on the current site in 1902, rebuilt in its present form starting in 1980. Yuhuang Dadi (玉皇大帝), the Jade Emperor, was enshrined here in 1983, and in 1993 the temple erected a 20-meter bronze statue of Shennong on top of the Xinwu Senior’s Activity Center (新屋區老人文康活動中心), reputedly the tallest in Taiwan. It is also the site of an annual “Pigs of God” competition, a Hakka tradition in Taiwan.