Dizang Temple, Xinzhuang, Chinese temple in Xinzhuang, Taiwan.
Dizang Temple stands on Zhongzheng Road in Xinzhuang. Its main hall has a dark carved wooden coffered ceiling with a deep octagonal recessed panel at the centre, lit by small round lights. Two thick smooth cylindrical columns stand in the foreground, and at the far end an altar niche is framed by two tall yellow banners with dark Chinese characters. Gilded deity statues flank the altar, with flowers and lit lamps in front. A tall stone gateway with red-edged square pillars and a multi-tiered roof of orange and green tiles, topped with sculpted dragons, stands at the edge of a paved area.
Chen Qianxing donated the land in 1757 for a small shrine on a mass grave where early settlers who died of malaria were interred. It was rebuilt in 1813, 1875, 1912 and 1972. In 1840, victims of Fujianese-Hakka feuds were added as Wu Dazhong Ye. The main hall was rebuilt from the late 1980s and reconsecrated on 13 December 1996.
People come here to pray to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, a figure in Buddhism known for compassion and protection. Visitors light incense and leave offerings as part of their personal devotion in the temple's inner halls.
The temple is accessible by public transportation and located in a well-connected area. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes since the grounds span multiple buildings and levels that require walking between different sections.
The temple keeps palanquins left over from the former Xinzhuang Shrine; a 1992 report put each one's value above NT$10 million and said Japanese buyers had tried to purchase them. The temple also runs a writing room where volunteers with legal knowledge help worshippers draft complaints, a practice begun over forty years ago.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,767 contributors worldwide.