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picturepictureIndex>Historic Sites & Ancient Monuments
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pictureTsai-ming Temple, a Grade Three Ancient Site in Taoyuan Hsien
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picturepictureINFORMATION
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picture Location and area:No. 153, Tsai-ming St., Yen-lin Li, Da-shi Town,
Taoyuan Hsien
picture Year of construction:Completed in the 30th year of Emperor Dao-guang's reign (1850)
picture This temple is a place for mediation. Please do not disturb other people. There is a Jin-tzu Pavilion on the slope and there is no pavement as of yet. Visitors should be careful.


picturepictureHISTORICAL BACKGROUND
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Tsai-ming Temple is located in Yen-shu-lin in Da-shi. Yen-shu-lin is opposite to Da-shi Street across Da-shi Creek, and was once known as "Feng-tzu City". Ben-yen Tseng's family fashioned a settlement from the wilderness here during the reign of Emperor Jia-ching. In the 30th year of the reign of Emperor Dao-guang (1850), a local farmer named A-jia Lee returned home after living in seclusion as a monk at Fa-yu Temple of Pu-tuo Mountain. Lee found this place suitable for meditation, so he built a cottage here. He worshipped the Guanyin Bodhisattva and named the temple Fu-feng. In the 12th year of Emperor Tung-chi's reign (1873), the head monk of Fu-feng Temple and local public figures raised funds to reconstruct the temple. They then changed the name of the temple to Tsai-ming Hall. The main hall of this temple was enlarged in the first year of the Daisho Era (1912). The peripheral buildings were added in the same year. A completion ceremony was then held subsequent to the renovation.

An ossuary tower was built behind the temple in the 4th year of the Showa Era (1929). In the 12th year of the Showa Era (1937), Tsai-ming Hall was renamed Tsai-ming Temple. In addition to the Guanyin Bodhisattva, the Golden Boy and Girl, Prince Nan-tsa, the Wei-tuo Buddha, and Emperor Wu-shien-ling are all worshipped here. The Ministry of the Interior has designated this temple as a Class Three Historical Site.

pictureTsai-ming Temple is a U-shaped triplex with a lawn in its courtyard. Its roof and walls were constructed in a manner similar to that of a typical residence. The temple's plain architectural style and decoration create a down-to-the-earth appearance, less fancy when compared to other temples. There is no corridor in the main hall, which makes Tsai-ming temple look like a mansion housing pilgrims. The temple occupies an area of 2.91 hectares. The XXXX trees and bushes in the compound create a tranquil atmosphere here. The camellia tree behind the temple blossoms in autumn and winter each year, and the tree's white flowers provide a counterbalance that sets off the temple's decorous simplicity.

The temple grounds abut the fault that defines the edge of Da-han Creek. On sunny days, you can see the mountains and the buildings on Da-shi Street clearly. The topography of the river region presents a singular view. Then you are reminded of the bombing of Da-shi Street by the Japanese. Behind the temple, people used to watch the sun set famously behind the tower - one of the eight grand visions of Da-shi. Today, you still can watch the sunset, but the present tower is a concrete structure, completely different from the traditional architecture of the temple. There is a pavilion down the slope in front of the tower. The 3-story stone-crafted pavilion was probably built in the 5th year of Emperor Tung-chi's reign (1866). It is approximately 13 feet tall with a calabash-shaped roof. On the top and second floors of the pavilion, there appear Chinese couplets describing the wonder of words and lauding literary talent. There is a stone road heading for Da-shi. Local residents used to take this road to Li-tzu-yen, and then ford rivers to travel to Da-shi.



picturepictureHOW TO GET HERE?
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Motorists should take Taiwan 3rd Highway or National 2nd Freeway, exiting at Da-shi, and then head for Yen-shu-lin. As soon as you arrive in Yen-shu-lin, you will be able to see the entrance to Tsai-ming Temple at the first traffic light. Keep driving straight and you will arrive shortly. Visitors can also board the Taoyuan Express Bus, alighting at the Tsai-ming Temple stop, and then walking along Tsai-ming Street. There is a large courtyard in front of the temple. Parking is convenient.

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---Taoyuan Culture Center(English Version)---
pic ????Address:No.21 Sianfu Rd.,Taoyuan city, Taoyuan County 330 Taiwan
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