Xiyuan Road, Bouddha Street Introduction
In the early days of Taiwan, Fujianese Minnan people crossed the Taiwan Strait to cultivate this new and unfamiliar world, leaving their hometowns behind and facing a land filled with thorns. Their only spiritual reliance was on their ancestral hometown and various deities. Immigrants used the religious rituals from their homeland and purchased Buddha statues to materialize the deities in their hearts, which initiated the development of Buddha statue carving in Taiwan along Section 1 of Xiyuan Road, next to Longshan Temple. From the intersection of Guangzhou Street by Longshan Temple to the intersection of Guilin Street, this short stretch of Xiyuan Road is the most famous street for Buddhist supplies in Taiwan, with a total of 20 shops on both sides, including a century-old business established in 1895 and several others that have been passed down through generations. Longshan Temple is a significant catalyst for the concentration of Buddha statue carving shops on Xiyuan Road. As the population's living standards improved, piety and faith in deities became stronger, leading to an increase in temples and thus a growing trend of inviting deities into homes for worship. These factors contributed to the gathering effect of Buddhist supply shops. In addition to statues, other related items such as altars, incense burners, and oil lamps are also indispensable in these shops, collectively writing a brilliant chapter in the history of Buddhist supplies on Xiyuan Street.
