I. Main Hall Construction

The Main Hall of Yi Yong Temple was officially completed in 1972, but this was primarily for the consecration ceremony of the three major Bodhisattva statues inside. In fact, the hall was already finished earlier. Around 1960, the first floor of the hall was completed, as shown in aerial photos, and it could hold several hundred people for worship and chanting. On March 12, 1963, a Dharma ceremony was held to celebrate the birthday of Guanyin Bodhisattva.

The design of the Mahavira Hall(大雄寶殿) was the work of ingenuity by Master Kai-Jhong(開種法師), who drew inspiration from foreign magazines and designed it himself. His creation reflects a unique blend of Buddhist devotion and creativity. The hall’s appearance is modeled after Thai temples, featuring a Thai-style pagoda on the roof along with two spire-like peaks, giving it an exotic, Southeast Asian feel. It brings to mind famous pagodas like the Phra Pathom Chedi Pagoda(佛統大塔) in Thailand and the Shwedagon Pagoda(仰光大金塔) in Myanmar. In fact, this design is based on a stupa(窣堵坡), a structure originally built over the Buddha’s tomb. Stupas have a sacred and commemorative meaning and have evolved into many different forms of Buddhist pagodas around the world.

Main Hall Statues

The statues of Guanyin Bodhisattva, Skanda Bodhisattva(韋馱菩薩), and Sangharama Bodhisattva(伽藍菩薩) in the Main Hall are made of clay with intricate sculpting details. These statues were crafted by Lu-Guan Chen(陳祿官) and his son Zhong-He Chen(陳中和) (Lushanxuan-廬山軒), renowned Fuzhou-style artisans who moved to Taiwan during the late Qing Dynasty and early Japanese rule. Lushanxuan and Lu-Guan Chen’s clay sculptures can be found all across Taiwan, from the Taipei Metro area to Yilan, Hsinchu, Taichung, and Kaohsiung. The Bodhisattva statues at Yi Yong Temple are among his later works, created with his son. They are the largest and most impressive clay Bodhisattva statues in southern Taiwan.

According to the recollections of elderly neighbors who lived near Yi Yong Temple at the time, when Lu-Guan Chen and his son were creating the Buddha statues, Master Kai-Jhong used all the gold jewelry left from her days running the Yuanbao Zhen Jewelry Store(元寶珍銀樓) before becoming a monk. She had the gold accessories melted down into gold foil, which was then used by the artisans to finish the final step of gilding and decorating the clay Bodhisattva statues. The most common depiction of the Guanyin Bodhisattva statue made by Lu-Guan Chen shows her wearing a wind hat and a necklace with red and green gemstones. One hand holds a sutra, while the other is raised in a mudra, and she is seated in the lotus position.

The white elephant

The white elephant refers to an elephant that is entirely white. Elephants are known for their great strength and gentle nature. When a Bodhisattva enters the womb, they may either ride a white elephant or take the form of a white elephant. This symbolizes the Bodhisattva’s goodness, gentle nature, and great power.

The four legs of the elephant represent the Four Bases of Spiritual Power. When Samantabhadra Bodhisattva rides a white elephant, it represents his boundless compassion. The elephant’s tusks symbolize swiftness and directness, while its strength reflects the Bodhisattva’s ability to bear and uphold the teachings of the Dharma. The color white symbolizes purity, free from any impurities or defilements.

II. Relic Agoda and Elysium Hall (Mituo Hall)

The Relic Pagoda(舍利塔) was completed on December 7, 1965 (the 15th day of the 11th lunar month), with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by the then-mayor, Qi-Chuan Chen(陳啟川). This three-story pagoda is designed to house the remains of the deceased. The third floor features a small, round-topped pagoda with twelve sides, each having an arched door or window. At the very top, there’s a six-sided, two-tiered traditional Chinese pagoda, topped with a swastika symbol(卍).
The style of the round dome of the small pagoda is similar to the one built by Master Kai-Zheng(開證法師) and designed by architect Ren-He Chen (陳仁和)for the Hongfa Temple’s(宏法寺) main hall, which was completed in 1964. However, the latter was demolished and rebuilt, and the former was also dismantled due to a fire and subsequently reconstructed to its current form.

Elysium Hall極樂廳(Mituo Hall(彌陀堂)) was built later and is situated directly in front of the Relic Pagoda. The first floor has a vaulted ceiling with beams and rafters made from reinforced concrete, designed to resemble traditional wooden structures. The entrance features a Tang-style broken eaves, with intricate craftsmanship and a Buddha statue at the top. On the second floor, the main facade is decorated with a colorful mural titled “The Grand Assembly in the Lotus Sea.”(蓮海盛會) The original artwork has been redone, with the current version painted in the winter of 2024.

III. Temple Office, Dining Hall, and Dormitories

The Temple Office, Dining Hall, and Dormitories were established before 1971. The Temple Office primarily manages administrative tasks like ceremony registration, providing religious guidance, and overseeing the placement of memorial tablets and niches in the stupa. The Dining Hall has played an important role in the temple’s development over the years, particularly in the area of cooking, which has been a vital skill for Bhikshu in Taiwan. It was also an essential source of income for the temple in its early days. In the past, the nuns would take turns preparing meals for worship services and serving “communal meals(大眾菜)” to others, thus creating a culture of merit and goodwill. The dormitories provide housing for the temple’s monks and nuns and are not open to the public.

IV. Sacred Statue of Guanyin and As One Wishes Lotus Pond

When Yi Yong Temple was first established, it was surrounded by farmland, with the temple itself enclosed by Baozhu Canal（寶珠溝） and an open garden area. However, since the 1970s, rapid urban growth has had a major impact on the surroundings. Farmlands were replaced by dense housing developments, and the Baozhu Canal was covered to create Jue Min Road（覺民路）. The temple’s garden was also enclosed with a wall, preserving a peaceful environment inside. From the roof of the Mahavir, you can look down on the garden, where the Guanyin Bodhisattva statue has been a witness to the changes in the area over the decades.

The Guanyin Bodhisattva statue in the temple’s garden was created by Master Yuan-Gui Ji(紀淵貴), who is often referred to as the “living dictionary of modern temple architecture” in Taiwan. The statue depicts Guanyin with her hair styled in an updo, wearing white robes, and long hair. She is adorned with an Amitabha Buddha image on her crown, draped in white silk, and a necklace of jewels on her chest. In her right hand, she holds a willow branch, and in her left, she holds a kalasa. A red urna (now gold) is visible on her forehead. Standing on a lotus pedestal, the statue reaches a height of 13.9 meters, making it an impressive and majestic sight.

This Guanyin statue, which has been photographed during its construction, was completed before 1972, as evidenced by its appearance in the book Taiwan’s Famous Buddhist Temples 《臺灣佛教名剎》published that year. It was built around the same time as the main hall. The statue stands in front of a lotus-shaped pond, surrounded by flowerbeds. On the lotus petals are three sculpted monkeys representing the “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” proverb. These statues were created by Master Kai-Jhong to symbolize Guanyin’s withdrawal from worldly life. This theme reflects the master’s own decision to leave the secular world and dedicate his life to Buddhism. It’s considered one of the most thoughtfully designed elements in the entire Yi Yong Temple complex.

V. Yi-Min Pavilion

Master Kai-Jhong constructed the Yi-Min Pavilion(義敏亭) in honor of her teacher, Master Yi-Min. The couplet on the red columns, “Yi cun she ji jin zhen xiang, le xi wu yan” 「義存社稷盡禎祥樂喜無厭 (Righteousness upholds the nation and society, bringing forth blessings and good fortune to the fullest extent. This righteousness continues to spread endless joy and happiness.) and “Yong shi zhng sheng duo xing fu zhen cheng feng gong” 「永使眾生多幸福真誠奉公」(Always ensure that all sentient beings experience abundant happiness through sincere and selfless service to the public.) symbolizes the contributions and great ideals of Master Yi-Min, the founding ancestor of the Yi Yong Dharma Lineage, to Taiwanese Buddhism and symbolizes his great exemplary character.