The spirit of Chang Hsun incarnated himself as an older man and went to Foochow, where he purchased some fine local timber. He then asked a carpenter to carve his name in the wood.
傳說張巡除了為廟擇地，還曾經化身為一老者，親自到福州，選購了上好的福州杉，叮囑店商在木材上刻上他的名字，編成木筏，放在海裡，順流漂到台西外海，被漁民拾回建廟。