aeeble

The Ciyun Temple, also known as the City God Temple or Cheng Huang Ye, is the spiritual center of the people of Chiayi, symbolizing the guardian deity of the locality. The temple has been intricately connected with the masses since ancient times and enjoys a thriving incense and worship. Established in 1715 (54th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign), the temple has a history spanning nearly 300 years. The current structure was rebuilt in 1938 (11th year of Emperor Showa's reign) and completed in 1940 (15th year of Emperor Showa's reign). The Ciyun Temple was initially built in 1715 (54th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign) and renovated in 1732 (10th year of Emperor Yongzheng's reign). In 1754 (29th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign), due to the temple's structural issues and signs of wear, the newly appointed county magistrate, Zhang Suo Shou, undertook repairs. The current Ciyun Temple was rebuilt under the supervision of Wang Jinmu, a master craftsman from the Quanzhou Xi Di school. The temple boasts impressive architecture, a noble layout, and distinct wood carving artistry. The Eight Trigrams Caisson in the worship hall, the main hall's steps and lattice windows, and the bracket sets are all constructed using mortise and tenon joinery, without a single nail or metal piece, demonstrating exceptional craftsmanship. The temple houses over ten precious stele and artifacts from the Qing dynasty, including the only imperial plaque in all Taiwan's city god temples, the "Tai Yang Xian You" plaque. Other notable donations include the "Dao Hong Hua Yu" plaque by Prince Tai Bao Wang De Lu, the "Rebuilt Ciyun Temple" stele by County Magistrate Zhang Suo Shou, and the "Her Sheng Guo Ling" plaque by educational official Su Feng Zhu, among others. Eleven pieces in total, highly valuable. Under the leadership of master craftsman Wang Jinmu from the Quanzhou Xi Di school, the temple showcases traditional architectural features and a typical street-style temple layout. The architectural structure is magnificent, with a refined and spacious three-chambered entrance, an ingeniously decorated worship hall, a dignified main hall, and a noble layout that presents a harmonious spatial order. On the waterwheel block in the worship hall, there are two intricate pieces of exquisite ceramic art, works by masters Chen Zhuan You and Lin Tian Mu. The door gods painted on the temple doors are the creations of renowned artist Chen Yu Feng. The temple's deities, ridges, paintings, stone carvings, door gods, and wood carvings all exhibit exceptional craftsmanship.