Anhai Longshan Temple

"Compared to Longshan Temple in Taipei, it felt much more rustic. The way they pray and the seriousness of their prayers are about the same, so it's hard to choose between them. There was an old woman sitting just past the gate, and she called out to me. If you listen carefully, you will notice that he is complimenting you in some way. I don't really understand, but it sounds like you're very lucky. I don't feel bad for the time being, so I apologize and try to leave, but he insists that I haven't received 〇〇 yet. It was hard to hear, but I was able to guess from the situation. It may have been rude, but when I gave her 50 yuan, she accepted it obediently. Are you a foreigner? I was asked something like this, and when I answered Lipran (Japanese in Taiwanese), he seemed to understand. It was a short visit of about 30 minutes, but thanks to this lady, the trip and visit were very memorable."

平井健策

"This was my first time leading a tour group to Longshan Temple in Anhai, Jinjiang. It felt like returning to my hometown! The locals were incredibly warm and welcoming, greeting me warmly and without any shyness. That's exactly how it should be – like family! 💯😄

Longshan Temple was originally built between 618 and 619 AD during the Sui Dynasty, but the existing buildings date from the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, renovated with donations from Jinghai Marquis Shi Lang and others. The Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Guanyin statue is located in the main hall of Longshan Temple. Carved from a single giant camphor tree during the Sui Dynasty, it has 1008 hands, each with a wisdom eye.

Legend has it that during the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty (or some say the Yongping era of the Eastern Han Dynasty), an Indian monk named Yili Sha came to Anping and saw a huge camphor tree with dense shade that emitted auspicious light at night. Resembling a thousand-handed and thousand-eyed Buddha, he believed it to be a sacred tree. Legend has it that a portion of a thousand-year-old camphor tree was used to create a 4.2-meter-high and 2.5-meter-wide statue of the Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Guanyin. The central section was crafted into large doors, each 2.6 meters long and 1.1 meters wide, while the rear end was hollowed out to form a large drum over 1 meter in diameter.

Because of its long history and flourishing incense offerings, this temple became a shared faith across the three counties of Quanzhou, gradually spreading its influence to other regions. Therefore, this temple is also known as the "Ancestral Temple of Longshan." Especially in Taiwan, many famous Longshan temples were built, such as Longshan Temple in Mengjia, Longshan Temple in Tamsui, Longshan Temple in Linkou (now Zhulin Temple in Linkou), Longshan Temple in Lukang, and Longshan Temple in Fengshan. Whether it's the original ancestral temple or the numerous branch temples overseas, miracles are often reported during wars or plagues, contributing to the flourishing incense offerings of Longshan temples in various locations.

🙏🙏🙏🐲🐲🐲🐲🐲🐲🐲🐲🙏🙏🙏🧸🍑🍈🍐🍇🍊🍐"

向瀧源

"This ancient temple is a must-see for its tranquility and simplicity.
No admission fee required, and volunteers are available to provide helpful guides."

Ally Wang