By / MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team Compilation & Report
Kuanhsi Qingxiu Temple is celebrating its centennial with a series of commemorative events. Established in 1917 by a Japanese individual named Kawabata Manji, it was originally called “Kōya-san Shingon Sect Yoshino Mission.” The temple offered services including Japanese language education, a clinic, and funeral rites. Its main deity was Fudō Myōō, and following the legacy of the famous Japanese monk Kūkai from Shikoku, it obtained eighty-eight stone Buddhist statues from the eighty-eight sacred temples of Shikoku. After the Retrocession, it was renamed “Qingxiu Temple,” and its main worship shifted to Sakyamuni Buddha and Guanyin Bodhisattva. It later fell into disrepair due to aging. In 1997, it was designated as a third-grade historical site (now referred to as a county-designated historical monument). The Hualien County Government completed its restoration project in August 2003, and the temple reopened to the public on November 29 of the same year.
The centennial celebration at Qingxiu Temple promises to be spectacular.
Qingxiu Temple follows traditional Japanese architectural forms, primarily featuring a wooden frame structure. Its roof is built in the Japanese “treasure-style” (four-sided hip-and-gable) and covered with copper sheeting. The temple serves both as a lecture hall and a place of worship, representing a solemn sacred space. The front of the temple features an overhanging entrance style, and its spatial layout includes an altar, worship hall, and bell tower, all arranged symmetrically. The interior is supported by beams and brackets (such as the “three-legged six-branch hanging” type), wooden noses, and other components exuding classic Edo-period style.
The structure of Qingxiu Temple is mainly based on a wooden frame system.
During the Japanese colonial period, Kuanhsi Qingxiu Temple served as a spiritual hub for Japanese immigrants. In recent years, it has also attracted many Taiwanese people of Japanese descent. Notably, during the “Peaceful Water Lantern Festival & Taiwan-Japan Descendants Gathering” held in August 2011, it highlighted the memories of Japanese immigrants who came to Taiwan for pioneering work, as well as their spiritual sustenance and religious beliefs in the early migration period. As 2016 marks the 100th anniversary of Kuanhsi Qingxiu Temple, it is hoped that through cultural events, the public can experience the rich history and heritage of the temple, explore the value of local culture, and engage more deeply with its cultural essence.
Kuanhsi Qingxiu Temple preserves the humanistic memory and life records of Japanese immigrants during the colonial era.
Celebration Information for the 100th Anniversary Series of Events at Kuanhsi Qingxiu Temple:
Kuanhsi Qingxiu Temple 100th Anniversary, 753 Festival & Fire Ritual Ceremony
Time: November 19, 2016 (Saturday)
Venue: Kuanhsi Qingxiu Temple (No. 345-1, Zhongxing Road, Ji’an Township, Hualien County)
Event Schedule:
Opening Ceremony 09:30–10:00 Guest Registration
10:00–10:10 Opening Performance: Traditional Japanese Dance & Okinawan Folk Song Medley
10:10–10:20 Speeches by Officials and Guests
10:20–10:30 County Magistrate Distributes Thousand-Year Candy, Group Photo Session
Static Exhibition 10:00–16:00 Qingxiu Temple Postcard Exhibition, Free Postcards for Visitors
Japanese Tea Ceremony Performance 10:30–11:30 Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony
Interactive Activities 09:30–16:00 For children under 12: Ring the New Year’s Taiko Drum & Free Thousand-Year Candy
Yoshino Food Stall 10:00–13:00 Japanese Cuisine Tasting
Blessing Ceremony 14:00–16:00 Chanting & Prayer for Peace, Disaster Relief, Shingon Sect Fire Ritual Ceremony
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