Song Jiang Formation has its home in Nei-men, Kaohsiung; it is the most powerful of all folk formations. Neimen, also called “Song-Jiang Site,” with a population under 20,000, boasts more than a dozen sites of Song Jiang Formation. Song Jiang Formation in Neimen originated during the Qing Occupation Period. The town is surrounded by mountains and was often raided by bandits; since government agencies were far away little help was offered them to solve the problem. Consequently, people from the villages organized their own self-defense force by setting up martial arts centers to develop self-defense skills. Later, for the parades held at religious festivals in honor of the Buddha by Zi-zhu Temple in Neimen, “Song Jiang Drama,” the story of The Water Margin, was performed. It was gradually transformed into Song Jiang Formation, a kind of folk formation that we can see today. It has the social functions of warding off evil spirits, dispelling bad fortune and maintaining social order.

The Zi-zhu Temple in Nei-men is not only an important religious center for the townspeople but also a center for Taiwanese belief in Guanyin. Every 19th day of the second month of the lunar calendar, which is the birthday of Guanyin Bodhisattva, a grand religious festival is held, and all folk formations, particularly Song Jiang Formation, are performed to celebrate it. The festival is always a lively activity drawing crowds of people.