Lotus Temple Introduction
In the third year of the Guangxu period, County Magistrate Li Shenyu passed by the current site of Lianhua Temple and was deeply impressed by the beautiful scenery of Shibajian Mountain and the Toukeng River, thus instructing local gentry to build a temple. In 1878, Lin Xixian and eleven other gentry initiated the construction of Lianhua Temple (commonly known as Guanyin Temple), dedicated to Avalokiteshvara. In 1895, after Taiwan was ceded to Japan, the temple was unfortunately affected by the ensuing conflicts and fell into ruin. By 1904, local gentry including Lin Ronghe, Lin Qifu, and Yang Qingyun led the efforts to reconstruct it, and the temple's activity flourished thereafter. In the 48th year of the Republic of China, Master Xiu Hui took over as the abbot, with a true Buddhist heart, resolutely improving the environment, renovating the main hall and lodging, while maintaining its ancient style. This revitalized the temple, making it a sacred place for worship for believers from Zhubei and beyond. The overall structure of Lianhua Temple comprises two main halls, two corridors, and two horizontal wings. The main building suffered damage during wartime but was later restored by subsequent generations to resemble its current appearance. Lianhua Temple’s architecture not only retains features from the late Qing Dynasty, early Japanese colonial period, and early post-war period, but also serves as a center for regional faith and culture, making it excellent material for research on local cultural studies.
