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Huiji Temple
This Temple is ideally located on the peak of Foding Hill, commanding a excellent view of the rising sun in the morning. The temple, then third largest on the mountain, has four halls, seven palaces and six attics. It is a maze of immaculate gardens bordered by swaying lanterns. Its halls are cleverly built in one line according to the geographical position. Only in Huiji Temple is Buddha Sakyamuni worshiped. The temple is also famous for its large collection of ancient brick carvings portraying the Guanyin Buddha. In front of the temple are some 1,000 stone steps making a path down the hill. The long walkway leading to / away from the temple is paved with ancient calligraphy and lotus leaves to represent Guanyin"s presence and believed to purify visitors of worldly sins. You can also visit the temple using the cableway.
In the early days of the temple it was just a pagoda made of stone. In the Ming dynasty they made a small temple of it. In 1793, during the reign of emperor Qian Long of the Qing dynasty, it was enlarged to a bigger temple and under the reign of emperor Guangxu (1871 - 1908) it became the third largest temple on the island. Nowadays the temple covers an area of 7902.93 m2. In 1988 they renewed the Guanyin Hall and in 1991 the Guanyin Hall became the exhibition hall for 123 stone inscriptions of Guanyin"s portraits drawn by painters of Tang, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. In 1998 32 pictures telling stories of Sakyamuni were engraved on a building in the west side. The completed temple has only two main halls off an inner courtyard; the hum of praying monks emanates from side halls.
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