Major renovations of Manka Lungshan Temple

Manka Lungshan Temple has been through three major renovations. The entire temple had to be rebuilt after it was leveled by an earthquake in 1815 that left nothing but the bases of several statues.

More bad luck was in store, however, for in 1876 a flood did great damage to the temple walls. The worst calamity of all, however, hit in 1919 when a horde of termites invaded. The abbot Fuzhi and a number of local leaders raised the necessary funds to have a new temple designed and built by Wang Yishun, a famous carpenter from Quanzhou in Fujian Province. 

The structures at Manka Lungshan Temple thus date to 1920. The fact that the temple has been rebuilt so many times is a good indication of its tremendous popularity in the local community.

When war between China and France broke out in 1884, French troops landed in Taiwan and wrought a fair amount of destruction, but Manka Lungshan Temple provided safe haven for the local people, and the temple emerged from the conflict unscathed. After the war the Guangxu Emperor had an inscription presented to Manka Lungshan Temple to commemorate the role it played during the fighting.
The main hall underwent major renovation once again in 1955. This was done because Manka Lungshan Temple had become the most famous Buddhist temple in Taipei and attracted an endless stream of both worshippers and tourists.
Manka Lungshan Temple was struck by its worst disaster ever on June 8th, 1945. World War II was nearing its end, but Japan still occupied Taiwan. In order to strike a blow against Japan, the United States bombed Taipei. One of the bombs landed on the main hall and the right sideroom. The ensuing fire destroyed most of the statues and inscriptions there, but the wooden statue of Guanyin miraculously remained unharmed. This phenomenal happening only increased the temple’s fame and attracted more visitors still. Among the inscribed couplets to be found here and there in the temple, there is one that refers to this event.

Inscription presented by the Guangxu Emperor of Ching dynasty in the late 19th century

 Eaves

Links:

• Wang Yishun