Mengjia Longshan Temple Introduction
Built in the early days, Longshan Temple is grand in scale and exquisite in sculpture. It was reconstructed after the major earthquake in the 20th year of Jiaqing (1815) and again rebuilt in the 6th year of Tongzhi (1867) due to damage from a storm. By the 8th year of the Republic of China, the beams were infested by termites. At that time, Master Fuzhi donated over 7,000 yuan, his life savings, to fund the restoration, laying the foundation for the current scale of Longshan Temple. In the 34th year of the Republic of China, during World War II, the temple was devastated by an air raid, destroying the main hall, but the statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva remained seated on the lotus pedestal, majestic and solemn. Previously, during air raids, residents sought refuge under the lotus seat of Guanyin Bodhisattva, but on the eve of this air raid, many who escaped the attack returned home due to rampant mosquitoes, resulting in no casualties when the main hall was destroyed. Residents believe this was due to the protection of Guanyin Bodhisattva, and this miracle made Guanyin Bodhisattva a significant spiritual pillar for the people of Wanhua. Longshan Temple faces south with a square layout and is designed in the traditional Chinese three-entry, four-courtyard palace style, consisting of the front hall, main hall, back hall, and side guardian dragons. The front hall has 11 openings and is divided into San Chuan Hall, Dragon Gate Hall, and Tiger Gate Hall. In front of the San Chuan Hall stands a pair of bronze dragon columns, the only ones of their kind in Taiwan. The front wall is made of a mix of granite and blue stones, with stories depicted on the wall mostly derived from "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Investiture of Gods," rich in educational significance. The roof of the main hall adopts a hip-style design with a double-eaved structure, supported by a total of 42 columns in the surrounding corridors. The outer walls feature various inscriptions from famous calligraphers, while the spiral algae ceiling is constructed entirely without nails, using interlocking brackets. The roof of the back hall also follows the hip-style design, serving as a worship place for Confucian and Taoist deities and Buddhas. Each side guardian dragon is equipped with a bell tower and a drum tower, producing a morning bell and evening drum. The unique hexagonal roof of the bell and drum towers resembles a sedan chair. The entire temple's ridge and eaves are decorated with auspicious motifs such as dragons, phoenixes, and unicorns, adorned with paper-cut art and earthenware from Da Zhu, brilliantly colorful and regarded as the essence of Taiwan's paper-cut art. In 1985, the government announced Wanhua Longshan Temple as a nationally protected second-level historic site, ranked alongside the National Palace Museum and Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall as the three major attractions for international tourists visiting Taiwan. Longshan Temple also established a cultural plaza building on Cultural Road in Banqiao, which was completed in 2005. It organizes various courses and lectures to promote the cultural value of Buddhism and advocate for social education. Wanhua Longshan Temple holds annual festivals and folk activities, such as the Lantern Festival in the first lunar month, the Buddha Bathing Festival in April, and the Ghost Month celebration in July. Visitors to Wanhua Longshan Temple can not only appreciate the beauty of Taiwanese temple architectural art but also enjoy the charm of traditional folk culture. (Source: Official website of Wanhua Longshan Temple)
