Hushan Temple (湖山岩)
Riding around with my husband, I've seen the huge Buddha sculpture smiling at the city from a hill in Douliou many times. Today is my first time visiting this place.
This Hushan Temple (湖山岩) in Douliou is quite big and looks pretty impressive. It is placed in the mountains, taking up space on both sides of the road. On one side, the temple buildings are really beautiful, with fish ponds, different plants, and various golden statues. The new temple is a two-story palace-style building.
On the other side of the road... it looks like a long-forgotten place.
The temple was built during the Qing Dynasty in 1725 and mainly worships Guanyin Bodhisattva. A giant statue of Guanyin can be found in the main temple. The temple was reconstructed a few times between the 1850s and 1870s. In 1939, it was transformed into a Japanese-style temple.
According to legend, one of the residents was very devoted to Buddhism and once saw the Bodhisattva appearing in the west. After that, he cleared the thorny bushes on the hill and built a small temple. As more and more people came to pray, he renovated the path along the lake and built a two-story palace-style temple downstairs. The Yuantong Hall is dedicated to Guanyin Bodhisattva, and the Daxiong Hall is dedicated to the Thai Jade Buddha. The temple features many decorations in the Thai style, such as elephants.
The temple was renovated between 1948 and 1969. During this period, the road was constructed, a huge Buddha was carved, and the palace-style Daxiong Hall was built. Zen rooms, lecture halls, and living rooms were added to the temple. In 1971, a five-story Hushan Pagoda was also added. In 1993, the county government decided to develop the sightseeing area by building the Buddhist Art Park on the opposite side of the old hall of Hushan Temple.
To visit the Great Buddha Sculpture, you need to climb uphill. The park looks quite old and forgotten. You will see many sculptures, both small and large, scattered around. The park is now overgrown, and hardly anyone goes there.
We didn't know that the entrance to see the Great Buddha Sculpture was closed, so we still went to the top of the hill. On the nearby hilltop, you can see a 150-meter-tall statue of Maitreya. The statue is clearly visible from Douliou City and has become the most popular landmark here. Unfortunately, the statue is closed to visitors.
See also: Baguashan Great Buddha
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