Northern Taiwan - Taiwan - page 243

Across National Hwy 3 from Yingge, this old town (Sānxiá) is most noted for a temple
that has been described as an 'Eastern palace of art' and a couple of blocks of perfectly
restored Qing- and Japanese-era buildings. In short, Sansia and Yingge go hand in hand,
contrasting and complementing each other like peanut butter and chocolate.
Sights
Tzushr Temple TAOIST TEMPLE
(Zǔshī Miào; tour 2671 1031) The centre of religious life in Sansia, the Tzushr Temple
honours Qingshui Tsu-Sze, a Song-dynasty general worshipped by the people of Anxi,
Fujian, for his power to protect their tea industry. First erected in 1769, the present struc-
ture hails from a late-1940s restoration that is still not finished.
In 1947, Tzushr Temple was in near total decay, as were many temples around Taiwan
after WWII. Professor Li Mei-shu, scion of a wealthy and politically active family, was
given the task of supervising the rebuilding. Li, a trained art professor, was the perfect
man for the job. In addition to his formal training, which included a stint in Japan, Li had
been a careful observer of temple crafts as a child. Li supervised reconstruction with an
obsessive attention to detail and introduced numerous innovations, including bronze
doors and wall relief and the use of gold foil over woodcarvings.
After Professor Li's death in 1983, however, the temple committee attempted to go the
cheap route with the rest of the reconstruction. The master artisans were let go one by
one, and a construction company was hired to oversee work. The ensuing public lambast-
ing halted work, and these days everything still seems on hold.
Some standout features to look for include the 126 hand-carved stone pillars (the ori-
ginal design called for 156) and the astonishingly beautiful plafond (decorative ceiling),
which recedes into a vortex. On every sculpted surface you'll find traditional motifs and
auspicious symbols (such as bats, storks, frogs, crabs, cranes, peonies, pines, vases and
turtles) and illustrated stories from history and mythology. Buy a copy of the Shan-hsia
Tsu-sze Temple Tour Guide (NT$200) booklet at the temple for more details, or call for a
private tour (available in Chinese only).
Minquan Old Street STREET
Sansia's name (Three Gorges) reflects the fact that it sits at the confluence of three rivers.
Once an important transport hub for charcoal, camphor and indigo dye, the town's
prosperity is evident in this old block of red-brick merchant houses and residences dating
from the end of the Qing dynasty through to the early years of the Japanese colonial era.