Did you know that Penghu had both "public temples" and "private temples" in the past? The public temples were collectively known as hepeng (Taiwanese: ‘kah-phenn’). The Penghu Tianhou Temple, the Magong Chenghuang Temple, and the Penghu Guanyin Temple became known as the "Three Ancient Temples of Hepeng" because they attracted countless worshippers. During July in the lunar calendar, the deliverance activities commence at the Magong Chenghuang Temple and spread to other temples. As an old saying goes, "Ghosts are released from the Chenghuang Temple and return to the Guanyin Temple.”

However, there are two Chenghuang Temples in Penghu, one at Wen'ao and one at Magong, a unique occurrence for Taiwan. Because the Wen'ao Chenghuang Temple was relatively small, Qing dynasty officials felt the need to build a more enormous  temple to show respect to the gods. Therefore, the Magong Chenghuang Temple was erected in 1779. Since then, the temple has undergone frequent reconstruction.

During the Sino-French War, artillery bombarded Penghu in 1885, but the Chenghuang Temple miraculously protected residents and soldiers from harm. Consequently, the Guangxu Emperor awarded a commemorative plaque to show his respect to the god. Remember to check out these precious historical artifacts!