The temple of the dog

Were it located elsewhere, Yimin Temple (義民廟) would enjoy greater prominence. It is historically important and rich in art. Fine wooden decorations, plus numerous plaques, tablets and engravings commemorate the “yimin”—the “sincere and righteous martyrs”—interred on the temple grounds.

More significantly, it differs from the vast majority of Taiwanese shrines in that the spiritual entities worshipped here include not only gods and deities that were once human, but also a dog.

Yimin Temple is not huge, just 9.5 meters wide and 14.5 meters long. Unlike many other shrines, there is no central courtyard. The main censer is located out front. It was classified as a third-level national relic by the Ministry of the Interior in 1991. An English-language information panel in front of the temple gives some background, though oddly it makes no mention of the dog.

In 1786, Lin Shuang-wen (林爽文) launched a massive uprising against Qing Dynasty rule. For a while, the rebels dominated about half of Taiwan, and it wasn’t until the beginning of 1788 that imperial forces regained full control of the western lowlands.

Like many other settlements, Beigang formed a militia to protect the town from the rebels. The militiamen were backed by a brave and intelligent dog whose vigilance helped foil sneak attacks. However, during a nighttime assault, 108 of the defenders and the dog were killed.

Later, when the Qing authorities had captured Lin and restored order, officials presented town leaders with an inscribed horizontal tablet which commemorated the dead.

By that time, the militia’s casualties, including the dog, had been buried on a piece of land that later became the Yimin Temple.

In the rear chamber, an engraved stone tablet honors the “righteous dog general.” Offerings such as crackers and fruit (but not, at least when I visited, including dog food) are placed before a small dog statue inside a plastic case.

The dog’s grave, which is big enough for three or four adult humans, is right behind the temple.

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