Lianzuo Mountain Guanyin Temple Introduction
Locally known as Guanyinting, it is currently a designated historical site of the third level. Since its establishment, the temple has undergone several renovations but has maintained its appearance and scale from over 200 years ago, becoming a precious cultural heritage. In 2013, it was selected as one of the "Top 100 Religious Sites in Taiwan" by the Ministry of the Interior, holding significant historical meaning. Lotus Seat Mountain stands alone in the Dahan River, resembling a lotus flower emerging from the water, hence the name. In the third year of the Jiaqing era (1797 AD), it was funded and established by Zhong Shangyi and others to build a Buddhist temple on the mountain rock, enshrining Guanyin Bodhisattva and the eighteen golden arhats, named Guanyin Temple. By 1904 (the 37th year of the Meiji era), local gentry in Daxi noted that the temple was at risk of collapse and raised funds for major repairs, adding a worship pavilion. In 1925 (the 14th year of the Taisho era), fundraising was again conducted for a thorough renovation, and in 1934 (the 9th year of the Showa era), the original pavilion was modified into a hipped-roof pavilion, which remains to this day. Due to the geographical limitations of Lotus Seat Mountain, the temple cannot expand vertically, thus it is a single-hall temple with five entrances. The roof has a three-ridge style, and in front of the main hall, there is a worship pavilion, which is the most significant architectural feature of Guanyin Temple. The roof is of the hipped style, with an octagonal coffered ceiling inside. The cut-and-paste work, clay sculptures, wood carvings, stone carvings, and paintings within the temple are all ancient and elegant. To the right side of the temple, in a shaded area about 10 meters away, there is a Sacred Worship Pavilion (Xizi Pavilion), another important ancient structure known as "Kuaixing Tower," built in 1936 (the 11th year of the Showa era). It enshrines the God of Literature, Wenchang, and is a three-tiered pavilion made of red bricks, featuring couplets on the upper and middle layers. The stone carvings of dragons and tigers on the pavilion are vivid and lifelike, with exquisite and delicate cut-and-paste work and sculptures. To the right of the temple, there is also the Kuaixing Tower, which is used to pray for flourishing literature and enshrines the God of Literature, Kuaixing from the Big Dipper, as a guardian of scholarly pursuits. This tower also functions as a pavilion for honoring characters and has a structure for paper offerings, adorned with auspicious animal tiles and reliefs, making it quite magnificent. Next to Kuaixing Tower is a small pavilion enshrining the God of Wealth and the Tree God. The small temple appears simple and unadorned, but it is said to have existed before the construction of Guanyin Temple, holding considerable historical significance. Source: Cultural Affairs Bureau of the government.
