Sanjiaotan: The Story of the Earth God Shrine and the Old Trees Sanjiaotan is located at the northeast corner of Liantan Community. The residents were mostly descendants of the Shiao clan, but the clan declined over time. Gradually, a large portion of land ownership in the village fell into the hands of the Chang clan, which has since become the largest clan in the village.
A historic landmark is located inside Sanjiaotan Community—a 300-year-old Earth God Shrine with three mango trees. Locals said that the shrine has existed since the Shiao clan first settled in this area. Experts pointed out that the front gate and the roof of the shrine were carved out from a single large rock. Inscriptions left from the time of sculpting are still clearly imprinted in the rock. The three mango trees circle around the back of the shrine, guarding the shrine with their strong trunks. This is a rare sight not seen anywhere else in Taiwan.
Residents of Sanjiaotan built another shrine over the old shrine for protection in 2001, creating a rare "a shrine within a shrine'' structure.
However, something is missing from the picture. The Earth God is not in the shrine. Locals explained that the statue of the Earth God was moved to the Chang Clan Shrine. The statue is not clothed; instead, clothing is painted on the statue. From the stories one can see that the development 17 of the Sanjiaotan area began early in history and that local residents treasured the marks of their ancestors' footprints.