Ji-An Qingxiu Monastery Introduction
Play Strategy - Historical Site in Hualien County - Currently the best-preserved Japanese-style temple in Taiwan - Admire the eighty-eight stone Buddhas from Shikoku, Japan - A must-see Buddhist hall built with traditional Japanese architectural method "Hōkyō-zukuri". Public transportation, click here >>> Taiwan Tourist Shuttle - Zongju Hualien Line information (schedule/fare table) Accessible bus reservation >>> Taiwan Tourist Shuttle accessible reservation information. The tranquil mouthwash and physical and mental handwashing area, the antiquated and simple Buddhist hall, the solemn eighty-eight stone Buddhas, and the Zen-inspired dry landscape garden immerse visitors in a serene atmosphere reminiscent of Japanese temples. This is the Jijiann Qingshi Temple, a preaching site built by Kawabata Manji during the Japanese colonial period to comfort immigrants. It is a Grade III historical site in Hualien County and currently the best-preserved Japanese-style temple in Taiwan. Spiritual solace and the eighty-eight stone Buddhas - Jijiann was known as Yoshino during the Japanese colonial period and is a famous immigrant village in Hualien. In the sixth year of Taisho (1917), Kawabata Manji raised funds to build the "Shingon Buddhist Yoshino Mission" in hopes of using religion to soothe the homesickness of Japanese immigrants to Yoshino (Jijiann). The temple contains a series of stone Buddhas that, according to tradition, were collected by Kawabata Manji following the wishes of Kūkai, the founder of Shingon Buddhism, who traveled throughout the eighty-eight sacred sites on Shikoku Island and brought back the eighty-eight stone Buddhas for residents seeking spiritual solace. Stepping into a time tunnel - After the restoration of Taiwan, the Yoshino Mission was renamed Qingshi Temple. The surroundings are serene, and to this day, it has preserved artifacts and architecture such as the Immovable Wisdom King stone carvings, Baidu stone, and the Hōkyō-zukuri roofed Buddhist hall. The Qingshi Temple, which has withstood the passage of time, exudes a sense of historical nostalgia. The architecture follows traditional Japanese structural forms, featuring a garden with flourishing flowers and a dry landscape garden, making one feel as if they have stepped into a time tunnel back to Japan's Edo period, experiencing the rich atmosphere of the former preaching site.
