Fuxing Temple

The Land God and Land Goddess

At the heart of Fuxing Temple is the worship of Fude Zhengshen, universally known as Tudigong or the Land God, alongside his consort the Land Goddess (土地婆). Together they are among the most beloved deities in Chinese folk religion — approachable, grandfatherly guardians of the household, the village, and one's livelihood. Farmers pray to them for bountiful crops, shopkeepers for prosperity, and families for safety on the road.↗↗

Unlike the grander temples dedicated to Mazu or Guanyin, a Land God shrine feels intimate and neighborly. The worship here is the kind practiced in living rooms and roadside shrines across rural Taiwan — a bowl of fruit, burning three joss sticks, and a frank, personal request whispered through the incense haze.

Festivals and the Rhythm of Zuoya

The temple's calendar follows the traditional cycle of zuoya (做牙) — monthly offering days when worshippers give thanks to the Land God. The most important are the first zuoya on the second day of the second lunar month (Land God's birthday, called toutuā / 頭牙) and the last on the sixteenth of the twelfth lunar month (weiya / 尾牙), the famous year-end feast day celebrated by businesses and families across Taiwan.↗

On the Land God's birthday and at Mid-Autumn Festival (fifteenth of the eighth lunar month), the community stages opera performances on a temple stage — a festive tradition that draws families and neighbors together for food, prayer, and spectacle. If you visit around these dates, expect incense smoke, drums from the opera pit, and the joyful bustle of a township at play.↗

A Temple Giving Back

Fuxing Temple is not merely a place to receive blessings — it actively channels faith into public good. The temple's management committee has grown so well-supported by devotees that it funded a small fire-and-water truck worth over five million New Taiwan dollars, donated to the Shuili fire brigade in 2026 to help navigate the township's narrow mountain roads. County Magistrate Xu Shuhua traveled to Shuili to accept the donation in person and led the assembly in a bow to the Land God and Land Goddess.↗↗

This kind of civic generosity is a hallmark of Taiwan's best-run folk temples: devotional income becomes ambulance funds, scholarship endowments, or fire trucks that reach the most remote mountain hamlets.

Visiting Fuxing Temple

The temple sits in Shuili Township, a quiet rural area in the Zhuoshui River valley of central Nantou County, ringed by forested peaks and terraced fields. A public plaza extends beside the temple grounds, open to visitors during the day. There is no formal admission fee; simply enter as you would any neighborhood temple, step through the courtyard, and observe local worshippers lighting incense before following suit.↗

If you wish to make an offering, you may purchase a fruit platter or sweets from nearby vendors as a gift for the Land God. Bowing with joss sticks held before your chest, offering a small prayer for safety or fortune, and placing the sticks in the central censer is all that's needed.

Pairing Your Visit with Shuili

Shuili Township rewards travelers who enjoy slow rural exploration. The area is known for high-mountain agriculture, tea plantations, and the spectacular gorges and hot springs along the upper Zhuoshui River system. Fuxing Temple offers a grounded, authentic introduction to how faith binds the community here — a natural first stop before heading out into the surrounding countryside.