Sacred Sites & Temples

Hualien's spiritual landscape encompasses a diverse range of faiths and architectural styles, from the dramatic Eternal Spring Shrine honoring highway workers in Taroko Gorge to the preserved Japanese-era architecture of Ji’an Keishuin. This collection features significant Buddhist sites like Xiangde Temple, home to a massive Ksitigarbha statue, and historic Taoist landmarks like Yuli’s Xietian Temple. These sites reflect the region's complex history, including Japanese Shingon Buddhism, local Taoist traditions, and modern memorial shrines.

Sacred Sites & Temples — Harita

David Monniaux / CC-BY-SA-3.0

A

ChangChun Shrine

Eternal Spring Shrine, also called Changchun Shrine, is a landmark and a memorial shrine complex in Taroko National Park in Xiulin Township…

Venation / CC BY-SA 3.0

B

Ji an qing xiu yuan

A preserved Japanese Shingon Buddhist temple established in 1917. It features traditional Edo-period architecture, a collection of 88 stone Buddha statues, and a statue of Kobo Daishi, the founder of the Shingon sect.

Mirage.cn / Public domain

C

Xiangde Temple

Located in Tianxiang, this Linji school temple houses the world’s tallest bronze statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. The complex includes the seven-story Tianfeng Pagoda and offers views overlooking the confluence of the Liwu and Dasha rivers.

D

ChanGuang Temple

A serene Buddhist temple in Taroko Gorge featuring traditional Chinese architecture. It is situated on a hillside above the Liwu River, reachable via a bridge near the Eternal Spring Shrine.

E

Bi lian si

A temple in Fenglin originally established as the Shinto Toyota Shrine during the Japanese colonial era. It now serves as a place of worship for Buddhist and Taoist deities while retaining aspects of its original shrine layout.

F

Xietian Temple

A historic Taoist temple in Yuli dedicated to Guan Sheng Di Jun (Guan Yu). Established in the late 19th century, it is one of the oldest and most significant centers for traditional folk worship in southern Hualien.