Linji Huguo Chan Temple

Traveler highlights

Rinzai Gokoku Zen Temple was founded in 1900, with its Buddha-installation ceremony held in 1912. It became the main Taiwanese missionary center of the Myoshinji branch of Rinzai Zen. The original complex included the Main Hall, a gate, and several wooden buildings. Urban development and road widening altered the site over time; today, the Main Hall and gate remain, both designated municipal historic sites. The Main Hall follows a Japanese Buddhist-monastery plan, with a hip-and-gable roof and timber construction characteristic of temples from the Japanese colonial period. The gate’s double-eaved roof and tile-end patterns are also worth examining. The grounds contain a large grinding stone excavated from the Yuanshan site, along with stone steps, carvings, and steles leading toward the hillside. Once threatened with relocation under urban plans, the temple was preserved and restored and is now one of the few large Japanese-style Buddhist halls remaining around Yuanshan. Its halls, gate, and stone path reveal both its shift from a missionary center to a historic temple and the changing approaches to conservation amid city growth.