Longshan Temple, Mengjia Introduction
Longshan Temple, founded in the early years, is magnificent in scale and exquisite in sculpture. It was rebuilt after the major earthquake in the 20th year of the Jiaqing period (1815) and again renovated after being hit by a storm in the sixth year of the Tongzhi period (1867). By the eighth year of the Republic of China, the beams were infested by termites. The abbot, Master Fuzhi, was the first to donate over 7,000 yuan of his life savings to raise funds for restoration, laying the foundation for the current scale of Longshan Temple. In the 34th year of the Republic of China, during World War II, it was damaged by an air raid, resulting in the total destruction of the main hall. However, the statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva remained seated on the lotus platform, majestic and dignified. In the past, during air raids, residents would take refuge under the lotus seat of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Yet, on the eve of this air raid, the residents returned home due to swarms of mosquitoes, resulting in no casualties when the main hall was destroyed. The residents believed this was the protection of Guanyin Bodhisattva and spread the news of this miracle, further solidifying Guanyin Bodhisattva as a major spiritual pillar for the residents of Wanhua. Longshan Temple is situated north-south and presents a square layout, featuring a palace-style architecture typical of traditional Chinese three-entry four-courtyard structures, comprised of the front hall, main hall, rear hall, and left and right guardian dragons. The front hall has 11 openings and is divided into the San Chuan Hall, Longmen Hall, and Humen Hall. In front of the San Chuan Hall, there is a pair of copper-formed coiling dragon columns, unique in Taiwan. The wall is constructed with a mix of granite and blue stones, depicting many stories based on the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Fengshen Yanyi," rich in educational significance. The roof of the main hall adopts a hip roof style, supported by 42 columns surrounding the hall. The exterior walls feature several stone engravings by renowned calligraphers, while the spiral algae ceiling is constructed entirely without nails or iron, with all components fitted together with dougong. The rear hall also employs a hip roof style, typically serving as a place to worship Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist deities. The left and right guardian dragons each have a bell tower and drum tower, characterized by their unique hexagonal roofs. The entire temple's roof ridges and flying eaves are decorated with auspicious motifs such as dragons, phoenixes, and qilins, adorned with cut mosaic and Trachyte pottery, showcasing vibrant colors and regarded as the essence of Taiwan's cut mosaic art. In the 74th year of the Republic of China, the government announced Wanhua Longshan Temple as a nationally protected secondary historic site, ranking alongside the National Palace Museum and the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall as one of the three major tourist attractions for international visitors to Taiwan. Longshan Temple has also built a cultural plaza building on Wenhua Road in Banqiao, which was completed and opened in 2005, hosting various courses and lectures to promote Buddhism and advocate cultural values in social education. Wanhua Longshan Temple regularly holds festive rituals and folk activities every year, such as the Lantern Festival in the first month of the lunar calendar, the Bathing Buddha Festival in April, and the Ghost Festival in July. Visitors to Wanhua Longshan Temple can appreciate the beauty of Taiwan's temple architectural art and experience the joy of traditional folk culture. (Source: Official website of Wanhua Longshan Temple)
