Bantianyan Ziyun Temple Introduction
Zu Yun Temple is located about 17 kilometers from Chiayi City and is designated as a county-level historic site in Chiayi County. Based on various data observations, it is believed that Zu Yun Temple was founded in 1682 (the 21st year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty), making it over 300 years old. The origin story is similar to many early temples, where a monk brought a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva from China to Taiwan. He became isolated at this place known as Bantianyan, built a grass hut for worship, and practiced there. Over time, as Guanyin's miracles became known, more believers joined the worshiping of Guanyin. The location is situated halfway up a mountain, hence named Bantianyan, where "yan" refers to "rock" or "cliff," as the Fujian people call mountain temples "yan." The term "yan" is inherently connected to Buddhist temples by the mountains, and Bantianyan thus becomes a name for a Buddhist temple. Additionally, due to the frequent presence of purple clouds in the mountains, it is also called Zu Yun.
