Beitou Puji Temple Introduction
According to the "Taiwan Buddhist Historical Sites Treasure Record" published by the Min De Photography Museum in Taipei in 1941, Puji Temple and Linji Huguo Chan Temple, which is also designated as a historical site in Taipei City, are both preaching points for the Myoshinji branch of the Rinzai school. During its reconstruction in 1934, because many of its followers were employees of the Taiwan Governor-General's Office Transportation Bureau, it was named "Tiezhen Temple" after the posthumous name of the Transportation Bureau's section chief, Shoichi Murakami, and a monument for Shoichi Murakami was erected in the temple. It was officially listed as a historical site in 1998, and the environment is filled with a tranquil and comfortable atmosphere. The temple exhibits a distinct Japanese style; the main hall has a single-eave hipped roof structure with a width of three bays and a depth of three rooms, forming a nearly square layout with the roof extending forward to create an entrance. The elevated floor inside the main hall is covered with tatami mats, showcasing the simplicity, tranquility, and solemn beauty of a Japanese temple, and the main hall is constructed from high-quality cypress wood. The temple still retains Japanese worship rituals, which differ from traditional Taiwanese worship practices. The bell-shaped windows beside the main entrance are distinctive, and the entrance features exquisite carvings on the dougong brackets and rainbow beams, with a plaque bearing the temple's name written by the famous calligrapher Yuyama Tei. Notably, there is a stone Buddha in a pavilion to the left of the temple, depicted holding a baby in its left arm and a Zen stick in its right hand. Generally, the public regards this statue as "Zi Son Guanyin," while Buddhist figures consider it to represent Japan's "Koyasu Kannon," an incarnation of Jizo Bodhisattva, attracting many faithful worshipers who come here to pray for offspring. The presence of both Tang Shou Guanyin and Koyasu Kannon has become a significant feature of the temple.
