Sanxia has a famous Qingshui Zushi Temple, and every sixth day of the first lunar month, there is a grand ceremony with a pig sacrifice. Hey! Why does the Wenshan district also have a Qingshui Zushi Temple with over 180 years of history? What is the relationship between these two? Actually, the ancestors of both places came from Anxi, Quanzhou, Fujian, and crossed the sea to Taiwan. During the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, there were already a large number of immigrants from Fujian and Guangdong areas entering and developing the greater Taipei area. In the past, water transport was convenient, and the pioneers could travel along the Danshui River, Xindian Creek, and Jingmei Creek all the way to the current Shidian Fengzilin area. Therefore, areas with dense populations naturally formed ferry terminals for goods transportation, such as Xic Kou of Jingmei Creek, Jingmei Old Street Ferry Terminal, Muzha Ferry Terminal, Shenkeng Ferry Terminal, and Shidian Fengzilin. Until the Taisho era (1912-1925) during the Japanese occupation, the river channels gradually silted up, and the rapid development of land transportation led to the gradual decline of these areas.
In the early days, the immigrants in the Wenshan area sought spiritual comfort and brought the Qingshui Zushi from their hometown of Anxi. They built a temple at the confluence of the Xindian Creek and Jingmei Creek (Xic Kou). In the 11th year of Daoguang (1831 AD), the "Wanqing Yan" temple was completed. Qingshui Zushi's secular name was Chen Zhao (Ying), a person from Henan during the Song Dynasty. He was also called Zushi Gong, Black-Faced Zushi, Nose-Down Zushi, Qingshui Zhenren, and Ma Zhang Shangren. Because he helped Anxi with rain to relieve drought, he was warmly persuaded by the local people to stay in Qingxi (now Anxi, Fujian) and established the "Qingshui Yan" temple, where he practiced for 19 years and eventually attained enlightenment, becoming one of the most important deities in the Anxi area.
Due to the "Wanqing Yan" temple being adjacent to the Jingmei Creek, it was repeatedly damaged by heavy floods that eroded the temple area. After several relocations due to road construction, it was finally moved to the current location inside the embankment. In addition to the three original statues brought from the hometown, which are the temple's treasures, there are also important historical relics, such as the "Men Kai Ganlu" plaque with a history of more than a century, and the stone incense burner inscribed with the year "Daoguang Wu Xu" (1837 AD). In the past, people used the stone incense burner as a whetstone for sharpening knives, causing a noticeable curved indentation on its current appearance. The temple also has a cultural corridor displaying many old photos of the Jingmei area, which is worth stopping to appreciate and savor carefully.