A municipal historical monument with many worshipers.
During the Yongli Era of the Ming Period, Koxinga made Taiwan his base and set his sights on the overthrow of Manchu rule. During this time, many early settlers arrived in Taiwan from the Zhang-Quan region of China. Settlers from Tong-an County in Quanzhou borough an idol of Baoshengdadi to Taiwan to watch over their settlement. In the 27th year of the Yongli Era (1673AD), as Koxinga embarked on his western expedition he also transferred soldiers from military farms from the Fengshan District (now Renwu Township in Kaohsiung City) to the Jhuluo region (now Chiayi City). Troops that originally came from Quanzhou also brought the idol of Baoshengdadi to the Jhuluo region to watch over the soldiers and civilians. A small shrine built by the troops in the 31st Year of the Yongli Era (1677 AD) would later become Renwu Temple. In the 40th Year of the Kangxi Era (1701 AD) during the Manchu Period, Feng-lun Mao, the magistrate of Jhuluo, proposed the building of a temple. The temple was also named Renwu Temple to commemorate the soldiers and officers from Renwu Township that brought the main idol. Renwu Temple became the oldest temple dedicated to Baoshengdadi in the Chiayi region.
Since its founding, Renwu Temple has been rebuilt and expanded on several occasions during the Yongzheng, Jiaching, Daoguang, and Xianfeng eras. In the 13th Year of the Showa Period (1938 AD), Mayor Shuhei Kawazoe (date of birth and death unknown) ordered the abolishment of 36 temples throughout the city as part of the Japanization policy. All temple assets were expropriated by the Japanese. The idol in Renwu Temple was relocated to Cheng-Huang Temple and the temple’s property seized by a Japanese named Hachiro and turned into Nahe Trading Company. Large quantities of cultural relics within Renwu Temple were destroyed as a result, a major blow for preservation of heritage relics.
When World War 2 ended in 1945, the local gentry of Chiayi raised funds to repurchase the site and rebuild Renwu Temple. On January 1, 1947, Baoshengdadi was re-enshrined at Renwu Temple and temple rites were resumed. The temple was refurbished again in 1961. The walls of the front hall and temple roof were repaired, and a new Four-Pillar Pavilion, the left and right walled galleries, and Worship Hall were constructed out of concrete. The beams for the Central Hall became timber on concrete pillars.
Renwu Temple is an impressive building with carved beams and painted murals. The roof is of five-colored glazed tiles and decorated with lifelike Koji pottery of flowers, birds, and people. The entire Renwu Temple was built out of camphor wood and is of great heritage value. The scholar and warrior Door Gods were painted by the great master Li-shui Pan, and are of tremendous artistic value too. Despite its many repairs and rebuilds, the temple retains much of its old appearance. The painted murals, stone carvings, wooden carvings, clay sculptures and ridge ornaments are all finely detailed. The decorative dragons and tigers add to its already impressive atmosphere.
There is a stone incense cauldron from the 30th Year of the Daoguang Era within Renwu Temple that was previously dedicated to the idol of Dadaogong. It is said that the medicinal oracles within the temple are very powerful so they are sought by many people. According to temple officials, many worshipers claim to be “godchildren” of Baoshengdadi as a folk custom to seek the deity’s healing powers.
