Longqi Yanhuang Temple

Longqi Yanhuang Temple

Longqi Yanhuang Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Located in Longqi Township, Tainan County, Yanhuang Temple is a relatively young monastery. Situated in a remote area of Tainan County, it is not widely known, but it has garnered much interest due to the many legendary stories about its abbots, Venerable Wucheng and Venerable Hemiao. Originally, Yanhuang Temple was a simple hermitage where Venerable Wucheng practiced in seclusion. It was not until 1990 (the 79th year of the Republic of China) that it was built into its current palatial style. Venerable Wucheng, a native of Tainan County, used to run the renowned Taiwanese sports shoe brand “Ox Head” before he became a monk at the age of 54—when his business was thriving. His preceptor was Venerable Jin Xin, the current chairman of the Buddhist Association of China.

Venerable Wucheng’s father, Venerable Hemiao, was also a monk. Hemiao, whose secular name was Wang Licheng, was born on January 6 of the 14th year before the founding of the Republic of China (1907) and passed away on the 21st day of the eighth lunar month in 1985 (the 74th year of the Republic of China). In his youth, Hemiao worked in farming, but due to a deep karmic connection with Buddhism, he took the Three Refuges at Zhuxi Temple in Tainan in 1955 (the 44th year of the Republic of China), with Venerable Jingjue, Master Zhangjia, and Master Huifeng as his preceptors. The following year, at the age of 60, he received full monastic ordination at Fayun Temple in Dahu, Miaoli. In 1964 (the 53rd year of the Republic of China), at the age of 68, he founded Fuguo Retreat (now Fuguo Temple) in Annan District, Tainan City. Later, he traveled across central and southern Taiwan, as well as Kaohsiung, Pingtung, and Penghu, establishing preaching centers, Buddhist lotus societies, Buddhist drama troupes, Fuguo Voice radio programs, and aerial religious broadcasts, while also leading youth groups in fostering ties with various Buddhist communities. Starting in 1973, he founded the Ciguang and Zhiguang Buddhist chanting associations, as well as the Cihui and Xigang Bodhi kindergartens and nurseries. In 1978, amid the severing of diplomatic relations between China and the U.S., he invited eminent monks to conduct a grand Water and Land Dharma Assembly. The following year, at the age of 82, feeling a stronger need to deepen his understanding of monastic discipline in his later years and to educate lay disciples, he invited Masters Xingyun, Zhuyun, and Ci’ai to preside over the Lay Precepts and Bodhisattva Precepts ceremony.

Shortly after Venerable Hemiao became associated with Foguangshan (Buddha’s Light Mountain), he resolutely donated Fuguo Retreat to the organization. It has since been renamed “Fuguo Temple” and has become an important monastery under Foguangshan in Tainan. In the 1970s, Venerable Wucheng came to the current site of Yanhuang Temple on Guanyin Mountain to practice in a solitary hut. Thanks to the many disciples Venerable Hemiao had cultivated during his lifetime, coupled with Venerable Wucheng’s compassionate and approachable nature, followers gradually gathered around him and built a formal monastery on the site. Yanhuang Temple was finally completed and inaugurated in 1990 (the 79th year of the Republic of China). Nestled among lush mountains and offering breathtaking scenery, it is an ideal place for spiritual practice. To honor Venerable Hemiao, the temple has constructed a stupa and memorial hall dedicated to him, reflecting Venerable Wucheng’s heartfelt tribute and filial devotion.

Source: Kan Zongzheng, "Taiwan Buddhist Temple Guide (IX): Tainan Region"

Image source: Tour of Ancient and Modern Temples