Jiantan Old Temple Introduction
Jiantan has a legendary tale that describes how Zheng Chenggong once passed by this pond with his troops. In the pond, there were water monsters resembling dragons causing chaos and harming many. Zheng threw the treasured sword he wore at the pond to confront the aquatic beast, and from that moment on, the waters became calm. The pond was henceforth named "Jiantan" due to Zheng Chenggong's act of throwing his sword to quell the monster. According to the Taiwan Prefectural Gazette, Jiantan Ancient Temple is recorded as "Guanyin Temple, at Bajilan Jiantan." The Tamsui District Gazette mentions that "Jiantan Temple was established in the 38th year of Qianlong by Wu Tinggao and others." There is an inscription in the temple that recounts how a monk named Master Ronghua passed through this area and encountered a snake blocking his way. He divined the auspice, which turned out to be very auspicious, and thus decided to build a temple here. Later, a Bodhisattva in white appeared in a dream to guide him, indicating that eight boats would pass from Shanghai through Keelung, which could raise funds for the temple; this indeed came true, resulting in the establishment of Jiantan Temple. Therefore, it is believed to have a history of more than 350 years, but during the latter period of Japanese rule, it was forced to relocate to its current site in Dazhi. Before entering the temple, there is a memorial archway with the words "Jiantan Ancient Temple" inscribed under the green-tiled roof. The small alley inside marks the original site of Jiantan Ancient Temple. In this wooded area, remnants of the old temple's pillars and stone tablets are preserved. The many traces left on the pillars tell fragments of history, creating a strong sense of the past.
