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 Fan-jian is one of the very few double surnames
in Taiwan. In the early stage of the Ching Dynasty,
there was a woman named Lei in Hue-chou, Canton.
Her husband Ji-jing Fan died at a young age. She
couldn't raise her son, Wen-ji Fan, by herself,
so she married Tung-yin Jian. When Wen-ji Fan
grew up, he gave the surname Fan-jing to his five
sons in appreciation of his foster father's help.
That's how the surname Fan-jian began. In the
first year of Emperor Cheng-lun, Wen-ji's second
son Dien-kao Fan-jian went to Taiwan by himself.
He settled down in San-chuang-tzu, Shin-wu Shiang,
and then he took his four brothers to develop
the wilderness of Taiwan. They later moved to
the current location of their clan shrine.
 Fan-jian clan shrine was built
in the 5th year of Emperor Sien-feng (1854). The
front hall was the only building constrcuted at
that time. People in the neighborhood called the
building Chi-shin-wu (literally translated as
the house of new beginnings). This is how the
name of Shin-wu Shiang was started. In the 39th
year of Meiji (1906), they moved their ancestor
tablets from Lu-feng Hsien in Canton to Taiwan,
then built the rear hall in 40th year of Meiji
(1911). When the rear building was completed in
the following year, they placed the ancestor tablet
in the rear hall. Fan-jian clan shrine is a Hakka
style building with a plain style. This is a shaped
building. The ancestor tablets are worshipped
on the center of rear hall. The interior is decorated
in a solemn manner. The clan members worship their
ancestors in the patio between front hall and
rear hall. The statues of the Goddess of Mercy
and Bo-gong are placed in the side uildings designed
in open-style. This arrangement is quite unusual
for a clan shrine.
Fan-jian family worships ancestors on April 5
and August 1 of the Chinese lunar calendar - known
as spring and autumn worship. These cermonies
are the most important gatherings for the Fan-jian
family. Visitors may watch and learn how the Hakka
worship their ancestors. These celebrations also
allow the offspring of Fan-jian clan to remember
their ancestors. If you'd like to visit Fan-jian
clan shrine, you must not miss the four buildings
of the Fan-jian mansion located on Lane 110. Each
uilding has a different direction and style. The
decorations of all the buildings are also ifferent,
because they buildings were built in different
stages. However, you still can see the
Hakkas' unique architectural style in these buildings. |
