Lingji Temple (Guanyin Pavilion) Introduction
Lingji Temple, formerly known as Guanyin Pavilion and also called Lingji Ancient Temple, is located at the East Gate of Houpu, near the national historic site of Qiu Liang Gong's Mother Festival Memorial Arch. The temple faces southeast and is aligned northwest. The canal visible on the left side of the temple is a traditional waterway descending from Juguang Road, indicating that Lingji Temple also serves the function of guarding the treasury associated with Shuiwei Palace. The name Guanyin Pavilion originates from the fact that the temple primarily worships Guanyin Bodhisattva, leading local residents to commonly refer to Lingji Temple as Guanyin Pavilion. The name "Lingji Ancient Temple" emerged after Master Shi Weide became the abbot. The inscription on the newly established incense burner in the temple front in 1968 is also indicative of this. The current large ridge on the roof of Lingji Temple has a record from 1978 noting that the temple was originally established in the 20th year of the Tang Dynasty under Emperor Dezong, or 804 AD. However, there are no historical records to verify the establishment during the Tang Dynasty. According to Lin Kuan-hsiang's records in "Kinmen Records," the current scale of Lingji Temple was damaged by fire in the fourth year of Daoguang during the Qing Dynasty and was later rebuilt through donations encouraged by local resident Lin Junyuan. Subsequently, it underwent several repairs during the Republic of China period. After the Nationalist government came to Kinmen, they utilized the worship pavilion space. The most significant external modification is the construction of the Bell and Drum Tower, which was overseen by Master Shi Weide in 1978, along with subsequent repairs. Inside Lingji Temple (Guanyin Pavilion), various Qing Dynasty plaques can be seen, highlighting its importance during that period. In Lin Kuan-hsiang's "Kinmen Records," Volume Four, "Ancestral Temples," it is mentioned that civil and military officials in Kinmen were required to burn incense at Guanyin Pavilion on the first and fifteenth of each month and then announce the "sacred edict" in front of the temple. Additionally, plaques from the Jiaqing and Daoguang eras further illustrate the shared belief center surrounding Lingji Temple (Guanyin Pavilion) among local officials, gentry, and devotees, beginning from the Qianlong period and continuing through the mid-Qing Dynasty.
