Biyuan Temple (Zhongshan Park) Introduction
Bilian Temple is located near the boundary between Fengping Village and Fengli Village (the site of the Toyoda immigrant village during the Japanese colonial period), close to the southern side. It is situated in the area of the Morimoto settlement from the Japanese occupation era. To the south of the temple lies a grove of sweet osmanthus bamboo, with the temple entrance facing north. The gate features intricately carved dragon-style columns, and two guardian shishi lions sit at the entrance, conveying that this temple was originally a Japanese shrine. Next to them is another pair of stone lions, which were erected after the war. The two pairs of guardian beasts from different cultures coexist peacefully, reflecting the mixed character of Taiwanese folk culture. Outside the temple steps, there is a forest of eggplant and banyan trees intertwined. To the northwest of the forest is Fengnian Terrace, which originally had a century-old giant pine standing tall, with a washing platform underneath for visitors to wash their faces and hands. Unfortunately, due to pest infestation, the old pine has died. Nearby, there is a commemorative stone tablet for the 30th anniversary of the village's establishment, inscribed with "June of the 17th year of Showa, 30th anniversary of the village establishment, written by Governor-General Seiji Hasegawa." Continuing on, stone lanterns (Mikoshi lanterns) made of Japanese stone stand on either side of the mountain path, featuring holes in the shapes of the sun, moon, and squares. Originally, there were dozens of lantern pairs extending from the temple gate up to the lotus pond at the bridgehead. However, some were destroyed during the construction of Fengnian Terrace, leaving the lamp columns broken, with only the lamp shades remaining, repurposed as tables under the eggplant trees for playing chess or enjoying tea. Fengnian Terrace was initially built directly in front of the temple gate at the location of the pond, but was later moved to the northwest corner due to obstruction to the temple view, and the original site was converted into a pond. After renovations in the 1990s, Bilian Temple was restored to its former style, and the stone lanterns that had been turned upside down as tables were re-erected, with the lower stone lanterns seen today being part of the reconstruction.
