Xinzhuang Ciyou Temple — Attraction in New Taipei

The temple, Xinchuang CiYou Temple, worships Mazu as it's main goddess, probably because it's located in Xinchuang of New Taipei City, which was an old harbor community/ town in 18th and 19th centuries, and many residents there engaged in shipping and boat-related business.

There are a few temples in Taiwan also called CiYou Temples, including the more popular one in Taipei, and they all worshiped Mazu, even though they seem to operate independently. However, all of these temples do claim its tradition and origin to Meizou of China

Because it worships Mazu, a goddess, the temple's main wood gates were painted with classic female characters, although not traditional general or God image.

The temple seems to have numerous believers, including young students who place their prayers for being successful for high school and college entrance examination. The temple seems to be trying hard to relate its religious purpose and function with younger generation, such as giving free colorful posts for younger visitors to write and post for their wishes and prayers on two areas of temple's walls.

Also, there are always believers or prayers who pray in the temple, and the temple does not ask for donation.

The temple seems to be financially sound or has sufficient donations, and its foundation does own an educational building next to the rear wall of the temple.

Visitors can take Taipei MRT Yellow [or O Line] and get off at O18 station. Walking distance from subway station to the temple is about 5 minutes, if visitors walk via Exit 2 of MRT station and turn right to Xinchuang Temple Street, which is also the location of...

Well preserved. Even the donation list carved centuries ago on the stone boards remain there and are swept frequently.

Many visitors daily and nightly worshiping for everything. The temple is foreigner-friendly as there are instructions written in both Mandarine and English.

There are three famous valleys nearby the temple, one is for transporting water, the other one is for rice and wheat, the third one is for traditional amusement. They are all old and forgotten by most of the...

媽祖信仰帶來的社會上的安定，隨著數百年的移民，創造平安的人心安定。

媽祖是以中國東南沿海為中心的海神信仰，又稱天上聖母、天后、天后娘娘、天妃、天妃娘娘、湄州娘媽等。媽祖的兩大部將，是為媽祖察、聽世情的千里眼與順風耳。

相傳媽祖俗姓林，出生於中國福建省莆田湄洲島。自北宋開始受人建廟膜拜，逐漸傳播到福建、浙江、廣東等沿海省分，並向海外的臺灣、琉球、日本、東南亞（如泰國、馬來西亞、新加坡、越南）等地傳布。

台灣是個移民社會，人們以往渡海來台，都會祈求媽祖保佑，因此在各地建廟。至今，媽祖的信仰在台灣非常普遍，凡遇到媽祖出巡或其他媽祖的慶典，信徒必定人山人海，爭相一睹媽祖的聖容與魅力。

而之所以媽祖會成為台灣民間最重要的信仰之一，和清廷的用心有關。當年清廷攻打明鄭，清軍便利用媽祖信仰，以『顯靈護軍』的傳說，來瓦解明鄭軍心士氣。據台之後，清政府對媽祖信仰更是大力提倡，於是台灣的媽祖信仰，漸成為民間最主要的信仰之一。媽祖的生日是農曆的3月23日，每年在這個時候，都會舉行盛大的法會慶典來祭拜媽祖以謝神恩。

慈祐宮的創建年代，有數種說法，依據連橫所著《台灣通史》：「慈祐宮，在興直堡新莊街，康熙25年建，祀天上聖母。」

《台北廳志》也沿用這說法，加上新莊人口碑相傳的說法，新莊人大都沿用康熙年間所建之說辭。

而余文儀的《續修台灣府志》記載，慈祐宮於雍正9年（1731年）所建；另外，陳培桂的《淡水廳志》則說乾隆18年（1753年）建；又根據廟中所嵌同治12年（1873年）立的《重修慈祐宮碑記》，則明確記載為雍正7年（1729年）。

根據新莊人所傳說的，慈祐宮於康熙25年（1686年）開闢之初，先建小廟加以崇祀。

隨著新莊平原的拓墾發展，移民愈來愈多，香火也日益鼎盛，到雍正年間，新莊因地利之便，成為南北交通要衝與貨物集散中心，成就「千帆林立」的景象；移民在生活安定富足之餘，感念媽祖的庇佑，雍正7年（1729年）由福建運來石材磚瓦、杉木，將過去奉祀媽祖的小廟，改建成相當規模的「天后宮」。

乾隆13年（1748年）新莊街大火，天后宮亦受波及，於是發起重修，同時為避火山之氣，在正殿後面開闢池塘引水鎮火，喻之「美人照鏡」、「倒照觀音」，因當時後村圳以北尚無建築物，池水倒映觀音山影。重修工程直至乾隆18年（1753年）完...