Jiuhua Mountain Daxingshan Temple

　　The widely renowned Daxingshan Temple does not have a grand temple structure or a solemn main hall. Instead, it features simple buildings made of iron sheet and cement. The first floor enshrines the Three Jewels Buddha, while the second floor houses statues of Sakyamuni Buddha, the Three Saints of the West, an unnamed nun, relics, and other Buddhist images and objects. The temple garden is dotted with pavilions, stone benches, old trees, and the paths are lined with Buddhist verses. A notable feature of Daxingshan Temple is that it does not have a donation box.

　　In addition to Great Compassion Water, Daxingshan Temple also shares blessings with the public through safe noodles, vegetarian food, and Buddhist tea. As the temple does not accept offerings, devotees offer items such as noodles, rice noodles, and shiitake mushrooms, which the monks then cook into large buckets of safe noodles. Under the spacious shelter, devotees eat bowl after bowl of noodles, while the kitchen continuously supplies more, embodying the essence of compassionate service and accessible salvation.

　　The camphor tree-lined industrial roads leading from Tongluo to Jiuhua Mountain offer fresh and open scenery. Due to the constant flow of worshippers, vendors line the route, selling a wide array of local specialties such as chrysanthemum tea, hair cake, peanut candy, pickled vegetables, honey, and bitter tea oil—creating a lively atmosphere. Among them, the red clay peanuts made from Jiuhua Mountain’s red soil are the most famous, often purchased by devotees as offerings before entering the temple.

　　Transportation Guide: Take a Xinzhushan Bus from in front of Miaoli Railway Station to Tongluo, or take the Mountain Line of the Taiwan Railways, both of which stop at Tongluo Station. Then transfer to a taxi to reach the temple.

　　Supplies Note: Safe noodles are usually available from 05:00–14:00 on weekdays and 05:00–18:00 on holidays; Buddhist tea and Great Compassion Water are available all day.

　　(No pictures available at the moment; contributions are welcome.)