Xuanzang Temple, Buddhist temple in Yuchi Township, Taiwan
Xuanzang Temple is a Buddhist temple on Cinglong Hill in Yuchi Township, Taiwan, overlooking Sun Moon Lake, with a three-story main hall as its central structure. A large statue of the monk Xuanzang stands at the entrance, depicting him with a staff and a bundle of scriptures on his back.
The temple was founded in 1965 by the Nantou County Government after sacred relics were returned from Japan, where they had been held since their discovery during World War II. The return of the relics gave the site a purpose that went beyond local worship and drew attention from Buddhist communities across the region.
The temple takes its name from the Tang dynasty monk Xuanzang, whose journey to India to collect Buddhist scriptures became one of the most celebrated in Chinese history. Visitors today can observe pilgrims lighting incense and leaving offerings at the main hall, which remains an active place of worship.
The temple sits on a hill above Sun Moon Lake and can be reached by bus from the lake or on foot along a marked path. Going early in the day gives you a quieter visit and a clearer view of the lake below.
The temple holds a fragment of the skull of Xuanzang, the 7th-century monk who spent seventeen years traveling to India and back to collect Buddhist texts. This relic, not the hill or the view, is the reason the temple was built here in the first place.
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