Sanxia Qingshui Zushi Temple — Attraction in New Taipei

It is a temple which combines folklore and Buddhism, although Taoist Gods are also worshipped inside the temple, especially at the 2nd floor. The temple is famous for its beautiful sculptures in wood, stone and copper, with emphasis of birds and historical story and story, although the temple also worships and beautifies folklore deities in sculpture forms.

With its full name of "Sanxia Changfuyeng Qi ngshui Tzushih Miao (temple)", it was first built in 1767 and rebuilt for two times with current temple been rebuilt in 1947 after original temple was damaged in earthquake and the first-rebuilt temple was damaged by U.S. bombing during Japanese occupation time in Taiwan.

"Qingshui Tzushih" means Founder or Master God of Qingshui area in current Fuchien province. Traditionally, the Deity sculpture is in dark or black face, and the Deity image is relatively similar for three other temples which worship the same Deity in North Taiwan- in Taipei (Wanhua district), in Danshui, the harbor City, and in Luei Huan, an early mining town, where early Taiwanese immigrants gathered and lived. Qingshui Tzushih was sincerely worshipped by early immigrants because the folklore seemed to state that the nose of Master God would drop to alert followers or believers before major disaster occurred.

In the 1947 rebuilding, it was designed and managed by the painter Meishu Li, who persuaded and hired architectural and sculpture artists for temple rebuilding, which emphasizes and balances designed decorations and sculptures in wood, stone, and copper.

Its temple sculptures seem to have more than 1,000 birds, in 106 types, with 7 types of unique Taiwanese birds. Because the temple sculptures do have so many bird- related images and art-pieces, the temple was considered as the "bird temple" by the artist circle. It is its artistic sculptures and other art works which differentiate the Temple from other temples in Taiwan.

The temple publishes its own farmer calendar in early or middle January, and it also gives Taoist religious physical protection artifaces to the believers, although free donation is welcome.

It seems that the temple has free guided tour for the students and other visitors, although in- advance arrangements are required. The temple is Admission Free, and the bathroom is open to the public free of charge.

The temple is located at Sanxia Old Street or Old Town area, with morning food market and Sanxia shopping area in the walking distance. Because numerous stores are closed on slow-business weekdays, visitors who are interested in temple and local shopping may select to visit temple in weekend or holiday.

Visitors can take Taipei MRT Subway BL Line to it's Station 01, Dingpu, and then transfer for bus routes 275, 705, 706, 812 to Sanxia Old Street (Fuxing Rd.). It merely takes 5 to 7 minutes for walking from bus station to the temple. Bus Routes 705 and 706 can be accessed from Ximen area of the central Taipei, and both bus services are in frequent schedule...

Sanxia Zushi Temple is a major center for Taiwan’s Qingshui Zushi folk religion. Its style differs from most other traditional temple architecture because its reconstruction was led by Li Mei-shu, a Taiwanese artist famous for his western paintings.

As a professional artist, Li began the project that produced the breathtaking decoration of Sanxia Zushi Temple, which has earned the temple a reputation as a Hall of Eastern Art.

The wood and stone carvings in the temple were crafted by renowned artisans in Taiwan based on the sketches of Li and...

在 1947 年時，三峽祖師廟第三次重建，因為當時祖師廟年久失修，漏雨漏得很厲害，所以就要求李梅樹來重修，他是一位畫家，受到西洋藝術的感染，並且認為歐洲教堂之所以能名垂千古，並不全是因為宗教信仰，教堂的建築及藝術之美也占了相當大的因素。因此，三峽祖師廟一定要用藝術的方式來重建，光只是重修的話會比較困難。祖師廟佔地約五百餘坪，以純粹古法建造為五門三殿式廟宇，其特色有：

一、從前殿石階開始，地面、牆壁、廊柱全部使用石頭砌築而成，是一座以石為基，以木為頂的廟宇。

二、五門皆為銅門，前殿正門，並列哼哈二將〈鄭倫和陳奇〉，兩邊為四大金剛，代表風調雨順；前殿東聽銅門取意加冠、進祿，西廳乃簪花、錦蔟，代表榮華富貴。

三、石柱、銅柱〈龍柱、花鳥柱、點金柱〉數量之多，冠於全省各地寺廟，現在共已豎立一二二根全部完工時，柱子總數將可達到一五六根。

四、匠心獨具 〈一〉木雕：精細繁複，令人目不暇給，每件人物雕刻都引經據典，或取材自民間傳說三國誌、西遊記、封神榜、二十四孝等故事。木材選用檜木和樟木，為了防止蟲蛀，上貼金箔，無論花鳥、人物、飛禽 、走獸都是出自名家手筆，例如拱角十六隻飛鳳，氣韻生動，為林松師傅遺作。每一幅雕刻品都是一塊木料雕成，諸如前殿內拱的獅子，胸前的垂鍊和鍊子中央的鈴鐺，和獅子腳踏的球，球又吊著一個小球，全是一塊木料雕刻而成，可見木雕手藝的精巧和細潁。 〈二〉浮雕：前殿每一堵牆或是石壁都雕滿名家的畫，諸如：岳飛的精忠報國、花木蘭代父從軍、溝澗臥薪嚐膽、田單火牛陣復國、蘇武牧...