Ximen Fude Cih (West Gate Fude Temple)

Main Deity: Fude Zhengshen. Historical Background: The Changhua Ximen Fude Cih (Changhua West Gate Fude Temple), a county-designated historic site, enshrines Fude Zhengshen, commonly known as Tudigong (the Earth God), who is the guardian deity of the land. Thus, it is also referred to as the Great West Gate Tudigong Temple. The exact year of its establishment is unknown; however, it can be initially inferred from an ancient plaque from the Qianlong era (1736-1795) hanging inside the temple that it was likely built around that period. In the history of land reclamation by early settlers in Taiwan, the belief in Fude Zhengshen was extremely widespread. In rural areas, he was revered as the god of the community and agriculture, while in market towns, merchants worshipped him as the god of wealth. This led to the saying, "Tudigong is everywhere—at the beginning and end of fields, and at the beginning and end of streets and alleys." In the past, Changhua County had four city gates: the East Gate (Legeng Gate), West Gate (Qingfeng Gate), South Gate (Xuanping Gate), and North Gate (Gongchen Gate). A Tudigong shrine was built near the inner side of each city gate.