Fayun Temple Ancient Trail Introduction
Fayun Temple is located in Wenshui Village at the boundary between Gongguan Township and Shitan Township. It is one of the four major Buddhist sites in Taiwan. Originally built in the first year of the Republic of China, it was later reconstructed due to earthquake damage. The newly built Fayun Temple has a majestic appearance that reflects the style of the Tang Dynasty. Inside the Main Hall, there is a statue of the Buddha made of white jade, standing about 9 feet tall and weighing around 10,000 jins, donated by Master Hongzong from Singapore. The garden outside the hall is filled with cherry blossoms, and notably, a Bodhi tree is planted beside the temple, symbolizing wisdom, bearing abundant fruit every year from September to December. Additionally, the straw insulation baskets of Wenshui Village are rare handcrafted items. The ancient trail to Fayun Temple starts from the Chenghuang Temple in Kaikuan Village and ends at Dahu Fayun Temple, stretching 1.8 kilometers. It served as an important transportation path for the early settlers developing the Shuiwei Ping area of Dahu. The original ancient path was located behind the current Kaikuan Elementary School, crossing over the saddle of Jintong Mountain (Jianshan) and descending to the bridge on the opposite bank of Fayun Temple, reaching the Shuiwei Ping area of Dahu Township and the Wenshui area of Shitan Township. After the construction of Fayun Temple, the path was changed to the existing military hiking trail, making the traces of the original ancient path difficult to follow.
