Located to the east of Keelung City on Yuemei Mountain, Kaishan (Founder's) Hall is a part of the Lingquan Buddhist Temple complex. Lingquan Buddhist Temple was founded in the 34th year of the Meiji era (Japanese colonial period; 1901 CE). Shih Shan-hui (1881-1945 CE) became the abbot and began actively propagating Buddhist teachings and building temples. Under his leadership, Lingquan Buddhist Temple grew and became the main temple of the Yuemei Mountain school of Buddhism—one of the four main schools of Taiwanese Buddhism. Well-structured and fully furnished, with magnificent halls, Lingquan Buddhist Temple was named one of Keelung's must-visit eight sights and even hailed as the top Buddhist sanctuary of northern Taiwan. In the 7th year of the Taishō era (1918 CE), it was decided that Kaishan Hall would be built to commemorate Shih Shan-hui's founding of Lingquan Buddhist Temple and give visitors a place to rest. The hall—a Western-style, two-story brick building—was completed in the 9th year of the Taishō era (1920 CE). Today, Kaishan Hall, Buddha Hall, and the Three Towers of Lingquan Temple all have immense value in terms of Buddhist history, historical figures, and architecture, and are listed as protected historic buildings by the Keelung City Government.
The "Yukai Mountain Stele" was erected by Shi Shanhui’s disciples to commemorate the creation of Lingquan Temple by Shi Shanhui, Shi Shanzhi, and Shi Shanxing. Gate of Quanchan Temple
In the 15th year of the Showa era (1940), the "Two Thousand Years of the Emperor's Remembrance" was erected in the open space in the left front of Kaishan Hall. The inscription is still recognizable, but the base of the monument has been damaged.
The right side of the room on the first floor enshrines the tablet and photo of Shi Shanchang. Both Shi Shanchang and Shi Shanhui are brothers. Shi Shanhui is the abbot of Lingquan Temple and Shi Shanchang is the deputy abbot
The "Lingquan Kaishan Shanhui's Longevity Statue" originally enshrined in Kaishan Hall has been moved to the Zushi Hall of Lingquan Temple
There is a photo of Shi Shanhui (1881-1945) on the left side of the room on the first floor. After serving as the abbot, Shi Shanhui actively promoted the Dharma and built the temple, which made the legal affairs of Lingquan Temple prosperous.
The arch ring method is to use pentagonal concrete blocks to transmit the force at the connecting arch ring, and each arch ring is equipped with a key stone
The cloister on the second floor shows a typical colonial style building. The roof has been changed to steel decks and I-shaped steel beams after the war.
The original indoor compartment on the second floor was demolished after the war, and the living space of Shi Shanhui (1881-1945) in the Japanese era is no longer visible. Currently, Guanshiyin Bodhisattva and other Buddha statues are enshrined
The top of the parapet wall is the key point of decoration for the entire building of Kaishantang