Fuyou Temple (also known as Fuyou Palace) is located on the old street along Zhongzheng Road in Tamsui District, New Taipei City. Its construction history remains somewhat elusive: some suggest that the Temple was initially established during the reign of the Yongzheng Emperor and was built in 1796, the first year of the Jiaqing Emperor’s reign. However, what we can is that Fuyou Temple holds more than 200 years of history as a third-class historical heritage site. It also stands as the oldest temple among the four major temples in Tamsui. Also recognized as the “Mazu Temple”, Fuyou Temple primarily enshrines Mazu and serves as the center of development on the old Tamsui street. Despite this, as it did not receive an imperial decree, the Temple retains its original name instead of being called "Celestial Empress Temple”. The sentence displayed in the couplet at the entrance of the temple, "The sea of bitterness knows no bounds, but those who seek help from the goddess of Meizhou (Mazu) can find themselves safely on the other side", portrays the hardships our ancestors faced while traveling across the Taiwan Strait to cultivate land in Taiwan. It also highlights the significant role of Mazu in safeguarding and protecting the people while maintaining control over the seas.
Fuyou Temple, with its extensive history, preserves a myriad of legends and fascinating tales. For example, the plaque hung above the main hall, inscribed with "glorious miracles and manifest blessings", is said to have been bestowed by Emperor Guangxu due to Mazu displaying divine power during the Sino-French War. This plaque still hangs in the main hall and has become one of the treasures of the temple. The "Stele of Wanggaolou", embedded on the wall of the front hall, records the construction of the Wanggaolou Lighthouse, which once guided ships at the estuary of the Tamsui River. The relief sculptures on the surrounding walls were mostly donated by nearby merchants as offerings to the gods. Today, they have transformed into an installation art piece presenting a blend of antiquity and modernity, embellishing the present-day old street. If you look carefully at the stone lions in front of the temple, you will notice that their heads are especially smooth and bright. The reason for this is that prayers often touch these lion heads, possibly because they were made from stone ballasts used to balance ships during sailing and once served as guardians for immigrants crossing the strait. There is a saying that by touching the lion heads, one can ensure peace and safety.
