Mengjia Kṣitigarbha Temple Introduction
Mengjia Dizang Temple, commonly known as Mengjia Dizang Wang Temple, is dedicated to the Kṣitigarbha (Dizang Wang) and is a designated National Historic Site of Taiwan. Located on Xichang Street in Wanhua District, Taipei City, it was built in the 25th year of the Qianlong reign (1760) and was renovated in the 18th year of the Daoguang reign (1838). Originally a privately owned property, during the Japanese colonial period, in order to prevent the property from being confiscated, management rights were transferred to Longshan Temple. The temple faces east and retains the architectural style of a single-hall temple from the mid-Qing Dynasty, characterized by a simple structure with unadorned carvings. It is a three-bay single-hall building with a roof featuring a swallowtail ridge and a gable roof. The entrance has a curved eaves corridor, and the columns are circular. Inside, the large wooden structure adopts a cantilever type roof truss, with a transverse beam in the major truss to facilitate the hanging of lanterns. In addition to the main deity, Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, the temple also houses the Emperor of the North on the left, the City God on the right, and Marshal Tian Du. The City God was originally located within Taipei City but was destroyed during the Japanese occupation, and the deity was later relocated to this temple. The Marshal Tian Du was originally enshrined in Zilai Temple on Xiyuan Road but was also moved here after its destruction. Every year on the 30th day of the seventh lunar month, a grand ceremony is held to celebrate the birthday of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva. The offering table features an ancient and simple incense burner from the 25th year of the Guangxu reign, inscribed with "Autumn Auspiciousness of the Year Yihai." The plaque above the main deity's position stating "Mengjia Dizang Temple" was established in the 8th year of Guangxu. The simple incense burners on the offering tables of the generals Fan and Xie, located on both sides of the main deity, were established in the 34th year of the Meiji era. Next to the temple is a public temple dedicated to the "Dazhong Ye," which honors unclaimed souls, mostly representing early immigrants who tragically died while clearing land in Taiwan. This temple was also built in the 25th year of Qianlong, indicating a close historical relationship between the two temples.
