The New Taipei City Government has come under fire from city councilors who say it has failed to properly conserve a historic temple in the city’s Banciao District (板橋).
Diyi Tang — one of four historic temples in the district — was built as a memorial to people who died in the mid-1800s in violence between the two largest groups of immigrants from China’s Fujian Province, in particular to Hsu Tsai (徐才), the head of a militia belonging to a wealthy local family surnamed Lin (林).
Up to the late 19th century, settler groups often fought battles over business interests, resources in Taipei and the nation as a whole.
Photo: Chen Wei-tsung, Taipei Times
In Banciao, the majority of Han settlers had come from Fujian’s Zhangzhou, while those in old Taipei’s Mengjia (艋舺) and Sinjhuang (新莊) neighborhoods were mostly from Fujian’s Quanzhou.
Once, Hsu planned a surprise attack on Quanzhou settlers in Sinjhuang at night, but their positions were exposed while crossing the Dahan River (大漢溪) in bright moonlight and Quanzhou settlers fired at them, killing Hsu and 12 of his men.
In recognition of Hsu’s service, the Lins built a temple for Hsu and his men outside of what was once the walled city of Banciao.
The temple is near the MRT’s Fuzhong Station, but is hard to find, buried deep in warrens of streets and houses.
In terms of immediate appearances, the building does not seem like a site of historic value: Its outside has seen better days, while its interior decorations are dilapidated.
The calligraphy on the plaques inside the temple has worn away and is hardly legible, while some of its beams are broken.
According to National Taiwan University of Arts professor Liu Shu-yin (劉淑音), the temple has witnessed the development of Banciao and is a site of real historic value.
However, the building is slowly rotting away from damp and pests, Liu said, adding that conservation efforts need to begin immediately.
New Taipei City Councilor Ho Po-wen (何博文), of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), said the city government has not exerted any effort to conserve the building despite naming it a city heritage site in 2013.
New Taipei City Cultural Affairs Bureau Secretary-General Chi Shu-chuan (紀淑娟) said the temple has been in a state of disrepair for a long time.
The bureau in February last year allocated funds to subsidize a renovation project and put the contract out for tender in August last year, Chi said, adding that the bureau has found a company to undertake the project after two failed bids.
Temple management committee director Kao Chun-chung (高峻中) said the temple is both a place of worship and a repository of the memories of local residents.
“As the management committee is incapable of effecting repairs, we want to donate it to the city government in the hopes that it is repaired and stands as a monument for subsequent generations,” Kao said.
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