aeeble

The distance from Chiayi City to Zijun Temple is about 17 kilometers. It is a county-designated ancient site in Chiayi County. According to various sources, Zijun Temple was founded in 1682 (21st year of the Qing Kangxi era), and it has a history of over 300 years. Similar to the origins of many early temples, it is said that a monk brought a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva from China to Taiwan, and it was placed in a temporary hut at the location known as Bantianyan, where the monk practiced asceticism. Over time, as the reputation of Guanyin's divine power spread, more and more believers joined in worshiping Guanyin. Because the temple is located halfway up the mountain, it is called Bantianyan. The term "yan" (rock or cliff) actually refers to a temple on a mountain; people in Fujian province call mountain temples "yan". Therefore, the character "yan" originally denotes the name of a Buddhist temple on a mountain slope, and Bantianyan is indeed the name of a Buddhist temple. Additionally, because purple clouds often surround the mountain, it is also called Zijun Temple.