Shoushan Rock Guanyin Temple

Shoushan Rock Guanyin Temple

Shoushan Rock Guanyin Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Commonly known as "Lingding Guanyin Ma Temple," Shoushan Rock Guanyin Temple is located in Lingding Village, Gueishan Township, Taoyuan County, Taiwan, and is a third-grade historic site in Taiwan. Legend has it that in the 7th year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty, Master Shunjì from Jiayang County, Guangdong, respectfully invited a statue of Guanyin from Chaoyin Temple on Mount Putuo in the South China Sea, crossed the sea to Taiwan, landed at Fumao Port (now Bali), and arrived at Lingding Village under a banyan tree. There, Guanyin appeared in a dream, expressing the wish to have a temple built on that very spot. Consequently, the temple was constructed here to enshrine the divine statue. In the 58th year of Qianlong’s reign, Hai Dang’a, Commander-in-Chief of the Fujian Navy and Taiwan’s General Garrison Commander, passed by the temple on his way to suppress bandit uprisings and pledged to rebuild it into a formal Buddhist temple after restoring peace. By the 60th year of Qianlong, the bandits had been subdued, and he gathered local gentry and wealthy patrons to initiate the construction of Shoushan Rock Guanyin Temple, which was completed in the 2nd year of the Jiaqing reign. The temple was officially named “Shoushan Rock,” and Hai Dang’a personally inscribed the plaque “Compassionate Ferry, Vast Relief,” which hangs in the main hall.

The current appearance of Shoushan Rock Guanyin Temple was mainly reconstructed between 1915 and 1916 during the Japanese colonial period. Due to termite damage and structural deterioration, devotees elected Lü Shenbo as the general director to oversee the renovation. They hired the renowned civil engineering master Chen Yingbin to lead the project. Upon completion, the temple featured exquisitely carved beams and painted rafters, making the sacred halls even more magnificent.

Guan-yin Temple of Sho-shan-yen

Must-visit reason: One of the most famous historic sites in Taoyuan County