Ziyun Temple Introduction
Ziyun Temple is a famous third-level historical monument in Chiayi County, located at the edge of the Alishan Mountain range, about seventeen kilometers from Chiayi City. As one of the older historical Buddhist temples in Taiwan, it was established in the 21st year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1682), boasting a history of over three hundred years. Ziyun Temple is oriented from the northwest to the southeast, and features a temple building with five bays, a two-entry structure, and dragon guards on both sides. There is a wide temple plaza in front, flanked by two two-story bell and drum towers on either side. The front pillars of the main hall bear the inscriptions: "Purple light observes the appearance, cloud shadows reflect the cicada's heart." The exterior eaves are decorated with intricate designs, and the stone carvings of the paired qilins on either side of the main gate are notable. The carving work at Ziyun Temple is exceptionally fine, with impressive sculptures found on the dragon pillars, phoenix tails, rafters, and more. Between the gable walls, there are ancient steles, including the "Buddha's Incense Lamp Stele" from 1765 (established by Master Juefeng to clarify the temple's property boundaries), the "Bantian Rock Reconstruction Stele" from 1857 (established by Guo Zhuohai), and eight other ancient steles such as the record of the construction of Qing Hall and the "Buddha Stele at Bantian Rock," all of which are still legible today. In front of the temple, there are two ancient梅 trees, around two hundred years old, famously known as "Mandarin Duck Plum." Surrounding the temple are several hectares of Paulownia and Tung trees, which create a stunning white sea of flowers during the blooming season, filling the air with fragrance and invigorating the spirit.
