Established in 1805, the Dalongdong Baoan Temple is considered archetypical of Taiwanese historic and temple architecture. The temple enshrines deities from Taiwanese folk religions, the main deity being Baoshen Dadi, the God of Medicine. Built to ensure the protection of the people who had settled on the island of Taiwan, the temple was therefore named ‘Baoan’, meaning ‘protection for the people’. The land on which the temple is built was donated by the Wang families from Dalongdong. 

The temple is a timber and stone structure with elaborate ornamentation. It faces south and consists of three main halls and two wings. Combining different architectural styles, including northern Chinese, southern Fujianese and Hakka, the temple embodies ethnic diversity.

Prior to this restoration, the temple had been renovated four times, most recently in 1967. Since then few repairs were carried out and the temple was in a highly dilapidated condition with termite infestation and roof leakages. In 1994, the Baoan Temple Committee proposed a restoration plan to repair the roof and wooden structures, remove inappropriate elements and restore religious ornamentation. Work began in 1995 and the restoration project was completed in 2002. The restoration was entirely funded by the Temple’s followers.

Traditionally the temple was not only a place of worship but also a community hall. Since the renovation, its traditional function has been revived and the temple and is now used as a gathering place by many community groups, for example reading groups, English conversation classes, the Baoan Temple Chinese Orchestra and the Cultural History Work Association.

The goal of the project was to restore the original spatial layouts and structures while using traditional materials and construction methods wherever possible. New materials and techniques were permitted only in special circumstances, such as for the provision of modern services, and only if compatible with the preservation of the historic fabric of the temple.

The first stage of the construction works included the removal of incompatible elements, such as the canopy erected in 1950 in front of the Main Hall. Then modern facilities such as water pipes, electricity, air conditioners and a fire control system were installed. These facilities were put underground to minimize visual disturbance and are controlled through a centralized computer system.

The principle of ‘maintaining original color and appearance’ guided the repair of the colourful frescoes and intricate wood carvings. Previous attempts at restoring the paintings during earlier renovations had produced unsatisfactory results so for this project experts were invited from Kyoto and Austria. A wood-carving expert from Zhangzhou was invited to repair the Zhang-style carvings. Replicas, using traditional types of wood, were created in cases where the original was beyond repair. 

Care was taken to ensure authenticity. For example, when the paint from recent renovations was scratched off, the original paintings were photographed as a reference before the artwork was restored. Traditional materials and methods were used in the repair of the roof ridge decorations. In a previous restoration, cement was used to attach the clay sculptures but this time a traditional bonding agent was used instead of cement.  This adhesive is a blend of glutinous rice, black sugar, white ash, linen and oyster shell ash which is stored in a tank until it becomes a thick and sticky paste. This mixture is more durable and more resilient to temperature changes than cement and by using this material an ancient tradition was revived.

Efforts were also made to protect the building against mildew, aridity and termites. New wood, for example, was smeared with tung oil to provide a protective membrane before being painted. Termite infestation was considered the most severe problem in the restoration project. This challenge was addressed by injecting the old wood with pesticides. In areas where injections were not possible, such as between the rafters and beams, a spray treatment was applied. New timber materials were soaked in pesticide rather than injected. Floor areas which needed repaving had pipelines inserted in the ground before repaving with the aim that pesticides could be applied to the floor areas through these pipelines. Inspections for termites have become routine and reapplications of pesticides have been scheduled for every five years.

As a result of the use of the temple grounds for community gatherings and classes, local traditions have been revitalized. Furthermore, classes such as the ‘Traditional Puppet Show Camp’ have revived ancient skills and customary arts.

During the restoration process the community gained invaluable knowledge about conservation both through their own activities and through interaction with restoration experts. In addition, a series of seminars about cultural relics were conducted in the temple grounds, creating opportunities for the interchange of knowledge between overseas and local consultants.

Media coverage has sparked tourist interest in the area, increasing the possibilities of developing tourism in the area and creating new economic opportunities for the local community.

The conservation of the 1805 Dalongdong Baoan Temple represents a major technical accomplishment and is to be commended for its ambitious scope and the depth of its conservation work. The project has taken a balanced approach between using modern scientific conservation methods and traditional architectural and decorative materials and skills in order to recover as much of the historic building fabric as possible. The meticulous attention to detail and the generous sponsorship of the project has resulted in the comprehensive conservation of the structure’s religious and architectural significance.