Kaiyuan Temple

TAIWAN, Tainan

Kaiyuan means New Beginning. It was originally the Beiyuan Residence built in 1680 by Zheng Jing, the son of Zheng Chenggong. In 1690 the building was converted to a temple. It underwent many expansions and reconstructions during the rule of Emperor Qianlong (reigned 1736–1795) and Emperor Jiaqing (reigned 1796–1820). It is listed as a Historic Monument of Taiwan.
The temple faces east, occupies 4 ha and has three courtyards. Along the central axis there are the main temple gate, Hall of Three Rivers, Maitreya Hall, Great Hero Hall, and the Bodhisattva Hall. There is also the Perfect Light Pagoda. The first three halls have three-layered roofs with straight ridges that curve upwards at the ends. The walls have circular and hexagonal windows. The carvings on the architraves and beams are colorfully painted. The doors of the Hall of Three Rivers are painted with the images of Skanda and Sangharama Bodhisattvas, as well as the Four Heavenly Kings. The Maitreya Hall houses a statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva, while the Great Hero Hall is dedicated to Sakyamuni Buddha and Manjusri and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas. The oldest bronze bell in Taiwan, cast in 1695, hangs in this hall. The Bodhisattva Hall is a two-story building that has been completely rebuilt in a blend of Chinese and Western styles. Beneath the eaves there are four pendills crafted in the form of Bodhisattva’s hands; each holds a different object: a lotus flower, a sutra scroll, a sword, and a vajra.
The Perfect Light Pagoda was built in 1931 and consists of three hexagonal towers on the same base. The decorated central pagoda has five tiers, while the other two have three tiers. All have a hexagonal pyramidal roof surmounted by a spire. The corners of the eaves turn upwards in a leaf pattern.