TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The statue of a deity has been discovered inside the statue of a historic temple in Tainan after hundreds of years.

A recent restoration project at Xinliao Zhenan Temple in the city’s Annan District revealed an unexpected discovery. X-ray scans of the temple’s main Mazu statue showed a smaller statue hidden inside its stomach, per Liberty Times. 

Chen Shan (陳善), the temple’s secretary-general, said the statue is believed to have been brought from Quanzhou during the mid-Qing dynasty (1644-1912) by ancestors of the Cheng (鄭) clan. Due to age-related wear, the temple commissioned restorer Chi Kuei-pao (紀貴堡) and his team to carry out the restoration.

Chi explained that X-ray imaging was conducted to assess the statue’s internal condition. The scans clearly show the outline of a head, shoulders, and other features, suggesting it may be a gilded Mazu statue with movable joints. 

The outer statue measures only about 50 cm tall, making the presence of another figure inside an extraordinary find. Chi said that the only comparable case in Taiwan was at Cihu Temple in New Taipei’s Jinshan District, where scans also revealed an inner statue.

However, that case never proceeded to an “opening the body” ritual, meaning the inner statue has never been seen or examined directly. In contrast, the Xinzliao Zhenan Temple has already held a spiritual ceremony in preparation and is now coordinating the opening ritual. 

If the inner Mazu statue is successfully retrieved, it would be the first confirmed and completed case of a “statue within a statue” being opened in Taiwan. There is also hope that a divine register may be found inside.

Tainan cultural researcher Lee Chih-hsiang (李志祥) said that in earlier times, the area frequently suffered from flooding, and settlers might have hidden sacred objects inside new statues for protection. Lee said any additional findings could offer valuable insight into the historical development of the temple and the Annan District.

There is a rectangular door on the back of the statue that measures 10 cm by 12 cm, which, when opened, will likely reveal the inner deity.