Kuncitang Introduction
Kunzi Temple was originally located at the site of a shrine in the Luye Immigrant Village during the Japanese colonial period. After the restoration of Taiwan, the Japanese returned the deities enshrined in the shrine to Japan, and the local residents began to worship the Earth God at the original shrine site. In 1953, local believers invited Mazu to be enshrined, and in 1958, the flag of the Queen Mother of the West was incorporated into the worship. Kunzi Temple is a public temple that primarily worships the Queen Mother of the West, along with Shakyamuni Buddha, Guanyin, the Holy Mother of Heaven, the Lady of the Waters, the Grand Marshal of the Central Altar, and the Xuantian Emperor, who was moved here by residents from Changhua Houli. The most distinctive feature of Kunzi Temple is the ancient eggplant and neem trees in front of the temple, both of which are over 80 years old. Next to the trees stands the Kunzi Temple, originally a Japanese shrine, which serves as a gathering place for the villagers of Longtian to chat. In 1960, when Kunzi Temple was initially established, Master Cheng Yen, who had not yet taken monastic vows at that time, also stayed here with his master for practice and often discussed Buddhist teachings under these trees. Consequently, the Tzu Chi people named this tree "Tzu Chi Tree." Longtian Village boasts a charming landscape filled with rustic charm. Riding a bicycle along the straight external road, Glory Road, through the green tunnel, one can embark on an ecological journey and experience the touching times of life intertwined with nature.
