Guanyin Temple of Sho-shan-yen

　　   Guanyin Temple of Sho-shan-yen, commonly known as “Lingding Guanyin Ma Temple,” is located in Lingding Village, Guishan Township, Taoyuan County, Taiwan. It is a third-grade historic site in Taiwan. Legend has it that in the 7th year of the Qianlong Emperor’s reign during the Qing Dynasty, Master Shunjì from Ji County, Guangdong, brought a statue of Guanyin from Chaoyin Temple on Mount Putuo in the South China Sea. He crossed the sea to Taiwan, landed at Fumao Port (now Bali), and upon reaching a banyan tree in Lingding Village, Guanyin appeared in a dream, expressing her wish to have a temple built there. As a result, the temple was constructed to enshrine the sacred statue. In the 58th year of Qianlong’s reign, Hai Dang’a, Commander-in-Chief of the Fujian Navy and also the Governor-General of Taiwan, passed by the temple while leading a campaign to suppress banditry. He vowed that if the bandits were quelled, he would renovate the temple into a Buddhist monastery. By the 60th year of Qianlong’s reign, the bandits had been subdued, and he then gathered local gentry and wealthy patrons to fund the construction of Guanyin Temple of Sho-shan-yen. The project was completed in the 2nd year of the Jiaqing Emperor’s reign and was officially named “Sho-shan-yen.” Hai Dang’a personally inscribed and hung a plaque reading “Compassionate Ferry, Vast Relief” in the main hall.

　　   The current exterior structure of Guanyin Temple of Sho-shan-yen was mainly rebuilt between 1915 and 1916 during the Japanese colonial period. At that time, the temple had deteriorated due to termite damage, prompting worshippers to elect Lü Shenbo as the chief director to oversee the renovation. They hired the renowned civil engineering master Chen Yingbin to lead the construction. Upon completion, the intricately carved beams and painted rafters made the temple even more magnificent.

　　   Guan-yin Temple of Sho-shan-yen Must-visit reason: One of the most famous historic sites in Taoyuan County