Beiji Dian (North Pole Temple) of Yujing was originally named Dawulong Zumiao Beiji Dian (Ancestral North Pole Temple of Dawulong) is a historical Taiwanese temple that worships Xuantian Shangdi (High Emperor of the Mysterious Heavens). Yujing region was still large a wilderness when the first settlers arrived and tropical diseases afflicted many of these early pioneers. The people thus invited the holy figure of Xuantian Shangdi (Sandi Yegong, the 3rd Emperor) to help stave off the diseases. In the 56th Year of Qing Emperor Kangxi (1717), 36 pioneers managed to save themselves from a disastrous flood after receiving a prophetic dream. These individuals thus pooled their money to rebuild the local Guanyin An (Shrine to the Avalokiteśvara Buddha) into a full-sized temple, which also included a rear hall to house Guanyin Pusa (Avalokiteśvara Buddha). The new temple was thus renamed as Beiji Dian. The front courtyard is populated by a vast number of turtles, which have been offered by the devotees as symbol of Xuantian Shangdi's turtles and snakes. At its peak, the turtle population of the temple numbered in the hundreds. Snake sightings were also made during the Japanese Governor Generalship, and the union of turtles and snakes was considered a wondrous miracle of the time.
Address:
No. 102, Zhongzheng Road, Yujing District, Tainan City
Telephone:
06-5743788
Directions:
South-bound / north-bound travelers: South 2 → Guantian System → 84 east-west expressway → Yujing District → Zhongzheng Road → Beiji Dian
Gourmet Food:
Shanlongting Sherou Tang (snake soup) / Lao Niubo's Zhuxue (pork blood) / Migao Fuzai Migao (steamed glutinous rice)
Accommodations:
Gaobinyuan Hostel / Hwa-Du Hostel / Huachun Inn / Changxing Hostel
Neighboring landmarks:
Yu Cing-fang Anti-Japanese Fighter Memorial Park / Mango Farming and Cultural Museum / Tapani Memorial Park / Yujing Valley Basin / Trellis Drainage System
Traveling reminders:
1. No parking lots available
2. Feel free to offer any donations
3. Temple artifacts can be studied up close
Recommended visiting time:
2 hours