Architectural Features - door gods

Golden Dragons

Door gods are important elements of Taiwan’s temple iconography. But whereas most of Taiwan’s temples have deities as door gods, Yanshui Wu Temple has golden dragons. There is a popular saying that goes: “When two dragons intertwine, harmony will prevail between yin and yang, and the weather will smile benignly on man.”  Thus, the golden dragon door gods symbolize the bringing of good weather for the people to enjoy rich harvests and the country to be peaceful and orderly.

One of the golden dragons is a heaven dragon, and the other an earth dragon. The heaven dragon, representing yang, looks up to the sky, while the earth dragon, representing yin, looks down at the ground.

Architectural Features - The stone lions

The stone lions at Yanshui Wu Temple should only be looked at, and should not be touched, because people’s body heat will accelerate their weathering. There used to be teeth and jewels sculpted on them, but these are no longer visible as a result of weathering. Such details gradually wear away and cannot be restored. Therefore, visitors are strongly urged not to touch the lions.

Architectural Features - "Foolish Foreigners"

Han Fan

Under the eaves near the two front corners of the temple are two carvings of “han fan”, which translates roughly as “foolish foreigners,” representing the Dutch who invaded and occupied Taiwan in the early 17^thcentury. Such han fan can only be seen in very old temples of central and southern Taiwan.

It is said that the craftsmen of the temples had a strong dislike for the Dutch, whom they viewed as mistreating Taiwanese. So they made these Dutchmen figures to carry the weight of the temples roof.

Architectural Features - S-shaped double-hook wall locks

A technique learned from the Dutch

The S-shaped double-hook wall locks are a Taiwanese variation of a building technique learned from the Dutch. Such s-shaped hooks are typically seen in temples, whereas scissor-shaped hooks are more common in ordinary housing. The purpose of such wall locks is to couple the wall and beam together so that they will not move. They are generally regarded as decoration, while some local people believe they can help ward off evil spirits.

Architectural Features - Yulian Temple, at the back of Wu Temple

Four joys in life

When you visit Wu Temple, you must also take a look at Yulian Temple behind it. Tang Dynasty poet Wang Zhu said that there are four great joys in life: (1) a downpour after a long drought; (2) an encounter with old friend in an unfamiliar city, (3) the intimacy of one’s wedding night, and (4) passing the exam to become a government official. 

The modern take of the four great joys in life: see if you can find them!

In more modern times, there are four simple actions we can enjoy in everyday life, namely: (1) stretching; (2) nose picking; (3) ear digging; and (4) back rubbing. Depictions of these four small enjoyments are carved upon the two dragon pillars of Yulian Temple. Let's see if you can find them all!