Taiwan Religious Culture Map

The main gate of Longshan Temple was built in the 1960s. It is a traditional Chinese gateway (páilóu) with four pillars, a three-kaijian wide façade, and a hip-and-gable roof with an extra gable on the top (xiēshān zhòngyán),. The date was designed by acclaimed architect and folk art master Liau Sik-sing. The simple yet elegant style of the gate matches perfectly with the Sanchuan Hall behind it.

The caisson ceiling design is exclusively used for important buildings in Chinese tradition. The octagonal caisson ceiling in Longshan Temple’s front hall is composed of 32 sets of interlocking wood brackets (dǒugǒng) aligned toward the center with cross vaults interlacing diagonally between the brackets. The delicately-structured double caisson ceiling has an inner and outer layer and is a masterpiece of carpenter Ong Ek-sun from Quanzhou.

The Bell and Drum Towers of Longshan Temple are hexagonal in shape. Generally, the bell and drum towers of traditional temples are independent structures. However, due to limited space in the city, Longshan Temple’s Bell and Drum Towers were built over the resting rooms (hùshì) that are positioned perpendicular to the main hall. The most characteristic feature of the Bell and Drum Towers is their sedan-chair styled (jiàodǐngshì) roofs. These were Taiwan’s first bell and drum towers to be built in this architectural style, and they influenced the design of many other temples in Taiwan. The Bell Tower is located on the east side and the Drum Tower is located on the west side of the temple grounds. The towers’ current facades are also the work of Ong Ek-sun. After World War Two in 1945, they were repaired by Liau Sik-sing, who slightly elevated the upper eaves.

The dragon columns located by the front entrance of the Sanchuan Hall are Taiwan’s only pair of cast bronze dragon columns. The cement molds for the columns were made in 1920 by Ang Khun-hok (1865–unknown) of Xiamen, the celebrated master of Koji ceramics and mosaic-like traditional cut-and-paste porcelain craft (jiǎnnián), and the columns themselves were cast by Li Lu-xing (dates of birth and death unknown) of the Taipei Iron Workshop using sand casting techniques. The dragon’s bodies have distinctive patterning, the columns are decorated with representations of characters from the Ming Dynasty novel Investiture of the Gods (Fengsheng Bang), and the bases were cast with depictions of ocean waves and carp as well as a divider (zhùzhū) for each column, showing the intelligence and engineering skills behind the designs of these enterprising craftsmen.

The spiral caisson ceiling in Longshan Temple’s main hall has a diameter of 5.82 m. It is located at the top of the main room surrounded by four golden columns. The caisson ceiling is composed of 32 sets of interlocking wood brackets (dǒugǒng) built in a counterclockwise direction. The ceiling was originally designed by Quanzhou master carpenter Ong Ek-sun to mesh in a clockwise direction. However, the ceiling pattern was altered and reconstructed in its present counterclockwise direction after World War Two in 1945.

The ruggedly carved sculpture of Gautama Buddha that stands in the main hall is 1.11 meters in height. It was carved by Taiwan’s first known sculptor, Ng Thoo-sui (1895–1930, from Manka), in 1925. The sculpture is based on the famous ink wash painting Shìjiāchūshāntú by Liang Kai (13th century) of the Southern Song Dynasty. The original sculpture was burnt during World War Two; the present sculpture is a replica made by the Council for Culture Affairs of the Executive Yuan, the present-day Ministry of Culture.