Ziyun Temple Introduction
Ziyun Temple is a famous third-grade historical site in the Chiayi area, located at Bantian Rock on the edge of the Alishan Mountain range, approximately 17 kilometers from Chiayi City. As one of the older landmarks among Buddhist temples in Taiwan, it was established in the 21st year of the Kangxi era (1682), boasting a history of over 300 years. Ziyun Temple faces southeast and is a temple structure with five openings and two main halls, flanked by two corridors, each with dragon motifs. In front of the temple lies a spacious courtyard, with two-tiered bell and drum towers on either side of the corridors. The columns of the front hall feature the inscriptions: "Purple light glimpses the likeness, cloud shadows reflect the heart of the cicada." The exterior eaves are decorated with carvings resting on three brackets, and there are stone carvings of a pair of qilin at the front of the central gate. The temple's carvings are incredibly intricate; the sculptures on the dragon pillars, phoenix tails, and roof beams are truly impressive. In the gable walls, there is a "Buddha Lamp Stele" from 1765 (erected by Master Juefeng, clarifying the temple's property boundaries), a "Bantian Rock Reconstruction Stele" from 1857 (erected by Guo Zhuohai), as well as eight ancient steles including the records of the construction of the Qingtang Hall and the "Buddha Stele of Bantian Rock." The inscriptions are still legible today. In front of the temple, there are two 200-year-old ancient plum trees, known as "Mandarin Duck Plums." Surrounding the temple, several hectares of Paulownia and Tung trees are planted, creating a breathtaking sea of white flowers during the blooming season, filling the air with fragrance and uplifting the spirit.
