Puzhi Temple, Beitou Introduction
According to the "Treasured Guide to Notable Buddhist Sites in Taiwan" published in 1941 by the Min-Te Photo Studio in Taipei, Puji Temple, along with the Linji Huguo Zen Temple, which is also designated as a historic site by Taipei City, serves as a preaching base for the Myoshinji sect of the Rinzai school in Taipei. When it was rebuilt in 1934, since most of its devotees were employees of the Transportation Bureau of the Governor-General of Taiwan, it was named "Tetsujin-ji" after the posthumous title of the head of the Transportation Division, Murakami Akira, and a monument to him was erected within the temple. In 1998, it was officially listed as a city-designated historic site, and the environment is filled with a sense of tranquility and comfort. The temple distinctly reflects Japanese architectural style, with the main hall built in a single-eaved hipped-roof design, featuring three bays in width and three in depth, forming a near-square shape. The roof extends forward to create an entrance porch, and the raised floor inside the main hall is covered with tatami mats, presenting the simplicity, tranquility, and solemnity of Japanese temple aesthetics. The main hall is constructed from high-quality cypress wood. The temple still preserves Japanese rituals, which differ from traditional Taiwanese worship patterns. Next to the main entrance is a bell-shaped window, which is uniquely characteristic, and the entrance porch showcases exquisite carvings of the dougong brackets and rainbow beams, with the plaque bearing the name "Puji Temple" handwritten by Right Ren. Notably, in the pavilion on the left side of the temple, there is a stone statue of a Buddha holding a baby in its left hand and a meditation staff in its right. The general public regards this statue as "Kuan Yin of Childbirth," while Buddhist practitioners identify it as the Japanese "Koyasu Bosatsu," considered one of the manifestations of Jizo Bodhisattva, attracting many devotees who come here to pray for children. The statues of Kuan Yin and Koyasu Bosatsu have become a significant feature of the temple.
