Fengshan Lungshan Temple

 Address:Geographical location : No.7, Zhongshan Rd., Fengshan Dist., Kaohsiung City Longitude : 120.362093066459, Latitude : 22.6207347330837
 Subject:AssetClassification : Historic Monument, AssetsLevel : National Historic Monument, Asset Type : Temple

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【Introduction】

Fengshan Lungshan Temple is also known as Guanyin Temple. Dedicated to the Bodhisattva Guanyin, it was built in the early years of Emperor Qianlong, Qing Dynasty. Legend has it that Fujian emigrants to Taiwan brought along the tradition of Guanyin worship. When resting at a roadside well to quench their thirst, the emigrants left their incense burning under a nearby pomegranate tree. When the locals discovered it, they chopped down the pomegranate tree, carved it into a statue of Guanyin and raised funds to build a temple to enshrine it. The existing old well under the temple’s altar might be associated with this anecdote. The tablet, made in 1760 (the 25th year of Emperor Qianlong) and featuring the inscription “Southern Clouds and Radiant Sun on the East,” is also currently housed in the temple. The temple is a three-bay structure with two halls and two wings. The center of the front hall is the indented central door of the main section. The wood windows and clay sculptures are the distinctive features of the Lungshan Temple and the essence of religious art. The wooden windows to the left and right of the central door are carved with bat and crane figures, with a pair of inscription tablets embedded on the edges. The adjacent secondary sections include circular windows decorated with sculptures of hornless dragons circling a brazier, which is an augury of bestowing good fortune. The sculptures show ceramic works of rigorous composition and alternating loose and compact spacing. The perpendicular walls at the left and right ends are decorated with clay and are fragmented. The engravings on the top sections of the wall tell the story and historical evolution of the Eight Immortals in an intricate, realistic and lively manner. The back of the front hall connects with the main hall through a four-column pavilion. The framework of the main hall features fine sculptures, which are unadorned, yet intricate in design. The left and right of the temple were rebuilt during the Japanese colonial era and feature a mixture of Chinese and Western styles.

 

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