Ji'an Monastery Introduction
Play Guide - Designated Historic Site in Hualien County - Currently the best-preserved Japanese temple in Taiwan - Admire the eighty-eight stone Buddha statues from Shikoku, Japan - A must-see is the Buddha hall built using the traditional Japanese architectural method "Hōgyō-zukuri." Public transportation details can be found here >>> Taiwan Tourist Shuttle - Zonggu Hualien Line Information (Timetable/Fare Table) Accessible bus reservation >>>> Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Accessible Reservation Information. The serene handwashing basin and the peaceful Buddha hall, the solemn eighty-eight stone Buddha statues, and the Zen-like dry landscape garden make you feel as if you've walked into a Japanese Buddhist temple, immersing you in a tranquil and calm atmosphere. This is the Jiajian Qingxi Monastery, a designated third-level historic site in Hualien County, built by Kawabata Manji during the Japanese colonial period as a mission to comfort immigrants. It is currently the best-preserved Japanese temple in Taiwan. Spiritual solace and the eighty-eight stone Buddha statues - Jiajian was known as Yoshino during the Japanese colonial period, a well-known immigrant village in Hualien. In the sixth year of Taisho (1917), Kawabata Manji raised funds to build the "Shingon Sect Kōyasan Yoshino Mission," hoping to use the power of religion to soothe the homesickness of Japanese immigrants arriving in Yoshino (Jiajian). The temple houses an array of stone Buddhas, which are said to have been brought back by Kawabata Manji following the traditions of the founder of the Shingon sect, Kūkai, who traveled the eighty-eight sacred sites on Shikoku Island, allowing residents to seek spiritual solace. Entering a Time Tunnel - After the end of Japanese rule, the Yoshino Mission was renamed Qingxi Monastery. The environment around the monastery is still serene, and it has preserved numerous cultural relics and buildings, including the immovable King stone carvings, the Baidu stone, and the Hōgyō-zukuri style Buddha hall. Qingxi Monastery, which has undergone the test of time, carries a sense of historical weight. The buildings, following traditional Japanese architectural forms, along with the lush gardens and dry landscape, create an atmosphere where time seems to stand still, as if you have walked into a time tunnel back to the Edo period in Japan, allowing visitors to feel the rich historical essence of the former mission center.
