Shiguanyin Jixian Temple Introduction
In the second year before the Republic of China (ROC), during the Japanese occupation, the natural growth of camphor trees in Wucheng Village and Xinxing Village was of excellent quality. The Japanese valued camphor oil, and the workers who produced it were called "nao ding." While transporting camphor, one nao ding suddenly suffered from severe abdominal pain after a meal and fainted at this location. A worker nearby, seeing a drop of water under a stone, hurried to fetch some fresh water to drink. After drinking, the abdominal pain was completely relieved, and he felt rejuvenated. After three years, in May of the first year of the ROC, during the Dragon Boat Festival, dark clouds covered the sky, and a torrential rainstorm caused landslides and the emergence of seven stone lotus flowers. The next day, porters in Jiji saw this and promptly spread the word, leading twenty or thirty nao ding to come and visit. Subsequently, a well-known local geographer named the place "Guanyin's Seat Lotus," and the nao ding gathered to hold a meeting to build a temple. In the second year of the ROC, a wooden Guanyin Temple was constructed, named Jixian Palace, Stone Guanyin Bodhisattva. Later, as a railroad was developed across from the temple, a hand-pushed light rail was implemented, which greatly improved transportation. However, an outbreak of influenza caused people to suffer with lethargy and a pale complexion. The Guanyin Bodhisattva of Jixian Palace showed compassion and appeared in dreams to good men and women, urging them to fetch clean water. Between the years 1943 and 1945, there were bombings by American forces targeting the Daguan Power Plant, happening every three to five days, causing unrest and fear among the public. The Guanyin Bodhisattva of Jixian Palace displayed great power, protecting the local people during the bombings without causing any casualties. On October 25, 1945, Taiwan was unconditionally restored, and the people expressed their gratitude to the Bodhisattva for her mercy and salvation. In 1946, the gentlemen of the village collectively discussed the reconstruction of the temple with brick construction. In 1982, after the completion of the Minghu Pumped Storage Power Plant, the road was further widened, improving transportation convenience.
