It was common to see Confucius Temple and Chenghuang (City God) Temple, which were the official temples, in every county town during the Qing Dynasty. At that time, the entire region of Kaohsiung and Pingtung was under the jurisdiction of Fongshan County, and the county town was positioned in today’s Zuoying. The old-city Chenghuang Temple has been protecting the people of southern Taiwan since 1704. Lord Chenghuang is the judge of the underworld, and he has an abacus to add up the good and evil deeds of the dead souls. The “Ask Your Heart” abacus hung above the main court of the temple reminds the coming visitors to ask themselves if they have made things right.With the figures of strict Ciye (the Seventh Lord) and Baye (the Eighth Lord) standing on the two sides, Chenghuang Temple certainly is the most influencing temple to the local people.

The present old-city Chenghuang Temple was reconstructed in 1968.The cultural relics left from the old temple are now displayed in the “Cultural Artifacts Exhibition Hall” on the third floor.They are the precious relics of the temple opened for exhibition only during the Chinese New Year, unless visitors apply for their visits in advance.