Established in 1673 (the 27th Year of Emperor Yongli of Southern Ming Dynasty), Tianhou Temple at Cihou is the oldest temple in Kaohsiung City.At that time, a fisherman from Fujian Province, China floated to Cihou during a typhoon and discovered this lovely place for fishing and settlement.He traveled back home and invited other villagers to come across the Strait.These people relocated to Cihou with the statue of the sea goddess Matsu from Meizhou Island.Through the fundraising efforts of the local gentlemen, a Matsu temple was built later for the worship of the Guardian Goddess.

The Tianhou Temple consists of two main halls and two side halls.Although it has been renovated for numerous times in history, the carvings inside and outside the temple, the clay sculptures and fragmented ceramics are well preserved in its classical elegance.The Tianhou Temple mainly worships Matsu, which is also known as the “Matsu Temple” or “Matsu Palace” by the local people.The temple has a large number of religious followers all year around.Being the first Matsu Temple in Kaohsiung City, it has been classified as a third-class historical site by the government in 1979 (the 68th year of the Republic of China).