Beitou Puji Temple Introduction
According to the "Treasure of Famous Buddhist Sites in Taiwan" published by the "Minduo Photography Studio" in 1941, the Puji Temple and the Linji Huguo Zen Temple, both designated as historical monuments by Taipei City, are locations for the propagation of the Myoshinji school of the Rinzai sect in Taipei. When it was rebuilt in 1934, it was named "Tetsujin-kan" after Tetsujin, the posthumous title of Akira Murakami, the head of the Transportation Division of the Railway Bureau, as many of its devotees were employees of the Taiwan Governor-General's Office. A monument to Akira Murakami was also established in the temple. In 1998, it was officially designated as a historical monument, and the environment is filled with a tranquil and comfortable atmosphere. The temple is built in a distinctly Japanese style, with the main hall featuring a single eave hipped roof that is three bays wide and three bays deep, creating a nearly square shape, with the roof extending forward to form an entrance. The flooring inside the main hall is elevated and covered with tatami, showcasing the simplicity, tranquility, and solemn beauty of a Japanese temple, with the main hall made of high-quality cypress wood. The temple still retains traditional Japanese worship rituals, which differ from the conventional Taiwanese practices. The bell-shaped window beside the main entrance is quite distinctive, and visitors can see the exquisite carvings of the dougong brackets and the purlins in the entrance, with a plaque reading "Puji Temple" that was hand-painted by right Ren. Notably, there is a stone Buddha in the pavilion on the left side of the temple, depicted holding a baby in its left arm and a Zen staff in its right hand. Common people refer to this statue as the "Guanyin of Delivering Children," while Buddhist practitioners consider it to be the Japanese "Koyasu Kannon," an incarnation of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, attracting many devotees who come to pray for offspring. The statues of Guanyin of Delivering Children and Koyasu Kannon have become a significant feature of the temple.
