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●PUCHI
TEMPLE Built in 1905, Beitou Puji Temple is one of the few Japanese Shingon temples in Taiwan. With the Hot Spring Guanyin enshrined inside, local people regard it as the temple that protects the hot springs. The temple adopts Japanese architecture, with the main hall completely built with juniper wood. The bell shaped windows, black roof tiles, classical brackets and arch beams, the Hot Spring Guanyin statute*, and the Shoichi Murakami Monument also add to the historical values of the Puji Temple. * Hot Spring Guanyin Looks over Beitou for a Century On June 17th 1895, Japan implemented its colonial policies in Taiwan. In 1896, a merchant, Hirata Gengo, from Osaka opened the first hot spring hotel in Beitou - the “Tiengoan”, which started Beitou’s hot spring era. To the Japanese owners of the hotels at the time, hot springs weren’t just for baths and health, but also brought consolations to the soul. So in 1905, local people raised funds and carved a stone statue of the Hot Spring Guanyin, which to this day has guarded Beitou for nearly a century. ◎ Municipal Historic Site ◎ Address: 112 Wenquan Rd. |
