Temple Statue Mysteriously Replaced and Returned in Yilan City

The statue of Ancestor Wang Chan (Guiguji) at the Chenghuang Lady Temple in Yilan City was replaced with a statue of Lu Dongbin in daylight on September 11th. The temple authorities discovered the incident in the afternoon and reported it to the police.

On September 12th, the police arrested a female suspect named Huang, who allegedly took the statue to repair and return it. The police are investigating the incident as a suspected theft.

The Temple of the City God’s Lady originally housed the statue of Wang Chan’s ancestor (Guiguji), who was the patron of the City God’s Temple industry in the old days and had significant historical importance for the city. However, the statue was replaced with a statue resembling Lu Dongbin.

A Taoist priest, surnamed Lin, stated that he discovered the incident when he noticed the statue’s hands were broken off. He reported the matter to the temple authorities, who then informed the police.

The temple staff found the original statue, Guiguji, returned and placed in front of the temple door on September 12th. However, the statue had been repainted with water-based paint, and the shoes had been re-dyed with red dye.

According to legend, Guiguzi was a political strategist during the Warring States period, and his disciples included Su Qin, Zhang Yi, and others. Later generations regarded him as a deity, and he was given the name Guiguji.

Lu Dongbin, on the other hand, is a Taoist Immortal, said to have been born in the Tang Dynasty and one of the Eight Immortals. He is regarded as an ancestor by both the Quanzhen sect and the Zhonglu sect and is a representative of the Zhonglu Nidan sect.