Chonggui Tianbao Temple

From Toushe Basin, take Provincial Highway 21 towards Shuili Township. Along the way, on the right side of the highway, you can spot a very tall statue of Prince Nezha (Tai Zi Ye), which marks the location of Chonggui Tianbao Temple in Wudeng Village. There are two theories regarding the origin of the local place name Chonggui. Firstly, during the Qing Dynasty, indigenous people often ambushed and robbed travelers near Tudigong'an Ridge on the Shuishalian Ancient Trail. To protect merchants and travelers commuting between the two places, the Qing court dispatched garrisoned militias. An arsenal (ammunition depot) was established at that time, hence the name Chonggui (銃櫃, meaning 'gun cabinet'). Another theory states that after the Qing court ceded Taiwan to Japan, residents around Sun Moon Lake, to prevent Japanese troops from entering, took a defensive position on Tudigong'an Ridge near Chonggui and resisted the Japanese army, thus it was called Chonggui. Tianbao Temple was built during the Japanese colonial period and worships the Three Divine Patrons (Guan Yu, Lü Dongbin, and the Kitchen God) as its main deities, boasting a grand and magnificent appearance. In the autumn of 1985 (Minguo 74), Prince Marshal (Tai Zi Yuanshuai) was commanded by divine decree to guard Tianbao Temple. Due to his frequent manifestations of divine power, the Divine Patrons communicated through a spirit medium to instruct devotees to erect a holy statue of Prince Nezha, standing 6 zhang, 2 chi, and 7 cun (approximately 20.9 meters) tall, behind the temple to showcase Prince Nezha's miracles in protecting the local villagers. Owing to the impressive height of Prince Nezha's statue, it has become a prominent landmark of Chonggui.