Dalongdong Bao'an Temple

Dalongdong Bao'an Temple was founded in 1742 and rebuilt in 1805. It primarily enshrines Baosheng Dadi and is commonly known as "Dalangbong Temple" or "Dadao Gong Temple." It is a national historic monument. Every year on the 15th day of the 3rd lunar month, a special two-month-long "Baosheng Cultural Festival" is held to celebrate the birthday of Baosheng Dadi. This festival combines religious rituals, folk arts, historical site tours, cultural and artistic workshops, aesthetic competitions, family surname operas, street parades, fire-walking, health care activities, and academic seminars. It is the largest, liveliest, and most popular temple festival in northern Taiwan, establishing Dalongdong as an important cultural center in northern Taiwan. The decorative arts of Dalongdong Bao'an Temple, including its stone lions, dragon pillars, floral and bird motifs, cut-and-paste ceramics, mud sculptures, Koji ceramics, wood carvings, and painted murals, are renowned far and wide. Each of these artistic treasures possesses significant historical and artistic value. During its construction, Bao'an Temple commissioned two master craftsmen, Guo Ta and Chen Yingbin, who each created wood carvings. This friendly competition was a popular practice at the time, known as "dui chang zuo" (competing craftsmanship). Therefore, when appreciating the decorative arts of Bao'an Temple, visitors can admire the distinct works of different masters on both the left and right sides. The seven murals in the main hall's corridor are masterpieces by national treasure-level painter Pan Li-shui, captivating visitors from both Taiwan and abroad who linger and marvel at them. Dalongdong Bao'an Temple has transformed from a local temple into a sanctuary integrating religion, culture, education, and art, profoundly influencing the revitalization of local culture in Taipei City's Datong District. Its historic architecture and restoration work have particularly garnered significant attention both domestically and internationally. Although Bao'an Temple has undergone multiple renovations and expansions since its reconstruction, its age has left it vulnerable to wind, sun exposure, and insect damage, severely affecting the building's main structure. It had lost its former splendor and posed safety concerns. To preserve this cultural asset, in 1995, Bao'an Temple undertook its largest restoration project since its reconstruction. Bao'an Temple independently raised all funds and oversaw the entire project, becoming the nation's first example of a privately funded and led historic monument restoration. The restoration project received the UNESCO "2003 Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation" in 2003 and was designated a national historic monument in the 108th year of the Republic (2019). Sishsikan Street (Forty-four Shops Street) is located on Hami Street, west of Bao'an Temple. It was founded in the 7th year of Jiaqing (1802) and completed the following year. At that time, property owners such as Dalongtong Wang Zhiji and Chen Lanji jointly established the "Jintongcheng" business, building twenty-two Minnan-style conjoined shops on both the north and south sides of this street. Because in the Hoklo dialect, one shop is referred to as "one kan," it was named "Sishsikan" (Forty-four Kán). Each shop was of the same size, measuring one zhang, seven chi, and seven and a half cun wide, with a depth of "one jin, three luo with a guoshui" (a three-section layout including a courtyard). The arcades were interconnected, forming a neat and uniform streetscape. Defensive gates were set up on both the east and west sides to deter theft; the eastern gate was inscribed with "Small Town, Strings, and Songs" (小邑絃歌), and the western gate with "Dalongtong" (大隆同). Later, due to commercial prosperity, the area gradually developed westward towards "Nei Tudigong" (He'an Temple). Consequently, the original Sishsikan Street became known as "Dingjie" (Upper Street), and the new market area was called "Xijie" (Lower Street). Further reading: Introduction to the Sishsikan Street surroundings — Taipei Pictorial No. 615 (Dalongdong Neighborhood Stroll: Discovering Splendid Times in Old Alleys).