Banana Temple

Banana Temple

Banana Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Located 1 kilometer east of Wangban Bridge in Xieshi Village. According to the county annals: It was founded in the Yuan Dynasty by Ouyang Caili and was originally named Puguang Temple, housing an academy. In the 32nd year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1554), Luo Rufang, who passed the imperial examination and became the magistrate of Taihu County, changed its name to Banana Temple when he inscribed a plaque for it. The main beam of the great hall bears the inscription “Rebuilt during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty.” The front eave beam of the shrine also bears the inscription “Reconstructed by Ouyang Bide in the Jiawu year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty.” The temple now preserves a large stone mortar with the date “Kangxi Jiayin Year of the Imperial Qing” (1684) carved on it, as well as other original temple utensils such as a large stone washbasin and a stone slab basin. The Buddha hall is approximately 13 meters long, over 10 meters wide, and more than 8 meters high, making it grand and imposing.