Pilu Temple

TAIWAN, Taichung

Pilu refers to Vairocana Buddha. In 1928, Lin, the wife of Lu Hou’an of Fengyuan, led her four daughters and two nieces to take refuge in the Triple Gem. She chose a piece of land and built a temple, which was completed two years later. Monk Jueli was invited to reside here as abbot. The temple was partially damaged during an earthquake in 1935 and had to be reconstructed. The Prabhutaratna Pagoda was built in 1957, while a lecture hall was added in 1977.
The temple consists of the main temple gate, Great Hero Hall, and Prabhutaratna Pagoda. The Great Hero Hall was built in western style. The parapet is decorated with articulated hollow bricks and above that there is a balcony. The portico is dominated by six tall, elegant Ionic columns with fluting. It is defined on either side by brick extensions to the building. The structure is clad in brick veneer and, since each brick has 13 grooves, the exterior has a corrugated texture. A seated statue of Sakyamuni Buddha is enshrined in the hall. The niche containing the statue is embellished with Ionic column capitals. The Prabhutaratna Pagoda is located southwest of the Great Hero Hall and has a Roman-style domed ceiling.