Shingon Buddhism Grotto Temple of Beitou, Buddhist grotto in Beitou District, Taiwan.
The Shingon Buddhism Grotto Temple of Beitou is a group of rock-cut structures on Danfeng Mountain, including the Hongfa Dashi Rock, the Bodhisattva Acala Stone Cave, and the Taiwan Happiness Stone. The Hongfa Dashi Rock is a niche carved into the rock face housing a statue of Kobo Daishi, with a memorial monument nearby. The site also contains a stone tablet inscribed with a Japanese wish for Taiwan's eternal happiness.
The grotto complex was built in 1911 (some sources say 1910 or 1912) on Danfeng Mountain by a group led by Sawatoku Matsu, who formed the Chaeikō association. They carved into the rock to enshrine Kōbō Daishi, spending over 300 yuan, and later added a memorial stele and the Fudō Myōō grotto. In 2019 it was designated a Taipei City monument.
The site takes its name from the Tea Honor Society (茶榮講), a group led by Sawatoku Matsu and others who funded the carvings. The main figure is Kōbō Daishi (Master Hongfa), venerated in the rock-cut shrine, with a nearby stone stele inscribed with a Japanese verse about the master's mountain. A separate stone, the Taiwan Happiness Stone, bears the Japanese words "Taiwan, be forever happy!" and was found in 2004.
The temple sits within Yangmingshan National Park and is reached on foot through forest paths that can be slippery near the waterfall. Good walking shoes are essential, especially after rain when rocks and ground become wet and muddy.
The Taiwan Happiness Stone, found near the grottoes in 2004 by local historian Yang Ye, bears the Japanese inscription "Taiwan, be forever happy!" Its faulty grammar has left unclear whether a Japanese or Taiwanese person carved it, and it still lacks heritage status.
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