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Guardian of Heath

Master Wu was reverenced as Guardian of Health. It's said that he was reincarnated from Zi Wei star (a Chinese Astrological star). He was expert in acupuncture and Chinese medicine. He used to be a bureaucrat, then later on retired and began to serve as physician to help people suffering in pain and illness. In year 1036, Master Wu mounted a cliff to collect medical herbs, but accidentally tumbled down from cliff and fell death. Years later his spirit became a divinity to guard people from the threat of disease or illness. As legend said, he ever rescued a tiger which ate people but choked by human bone. While Master Wu cured that tiger, he also rebuked it for the vice it'd done. That tiger felt shamed and determined to serve as Wu's riding servant, in order to expiate the sins it'd done.

The host divinity of Ching Long Temple (in Jiali) was Master Wu. Ching Long temple was reconstructed in 1973. Before then, the statue of Master Wu was enshrined in Qing An temple. This photo was shot before 1973. The statues from left to right were Master Wu of Ching Long temple, Koxinga, then Master Wu of Qing An temple.

The statue of Master Wu was enshrined in west chamber of Qing An temple. But during the preparation of Xigang Festival, his statue was relocated to the east chamber in which Koxinga was enshrined. Then the west chamber would be served as a station to accommodate other divinities who were assigned to monitor the progress of Xigang Festival ---

before 1976