Jiuhua Mountain Ksitigarbha Temple Introduction
The flourishing Jiuhua Mountain Dizang Temple! Jiuhua Mountain Dizang Temple, formerly known as "Jia Yi Bei Yue Dian Dizang Wang - Jiuhua Mountain Dizang Temple," mainly enshrines Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva in the main hall, with Sakyamuni Buddha in the Great Hero Hall, and the Tai Sui Hall and Wenchang Hall set up in the courtyard. The Great Compassion Hall mainly enshrines Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, the Amitābha Hall enshrines Amitābha Buddha, and the Medicine Buddha Hall enshrines Bhaiṣajyaguru Buddha, while the top-floor Great Vow Hall enshrines the four Namo Great Vow Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattvas. The temple houses a statue of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, said to be crafted by the master potter Ye Wang from Jiaozhi, characterized by its solemn and compassionate features and abundant divine blessings. Due to its frequent manifestations helping people and protecting the community, it has become the most important center of faith. The annual ceremonies include the Shangyuan Festival, Zhongyuan Festival, and Xiayuan Festival, attracting tens of thousands of participants each time, showing a great prosperity. Jiuhua Mountain Dizang Temple is a hub of faith, often conducting charitable relief efforts and assisting all beings to soothe the hearts of the people. The statue of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva in the temple and the statues of the Ten Yama Kings are ancient artifacts of significant value. Historical Note: The golden statue of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva was brought to Taiwan during the late Ming Dynasty by a benevolent person. In the 36th year of Kangxi (1697), it was designated to be enshrined at its current location, and it has been over three hundred years since then. In the 56th year of Kangxi (1717), the garrison commander You Chonggong established the temple, which was expanded by County Magistrate Li Tan in the 25th year of Qianlong (1760), gaining some scale. It has undergone multiple renovations, and in the 60th year of the Republic of China, it was rebuilt into a seven-tiered Lotus Treasure Hall.
