Fayun Temple Ancient Trail

Fayun Temple is located in Wenshui Village, at the junction of Gongguan and Shitan Townships. It is one of Taiwan's four major Buddhist centers. Originally built in the first year of the Republic of China (1912), it was later destroyed by an earthquake and rebuilt. The new Fayun Temple boasts a majestic and magnificent appearance, reminiscent of the Tang Dynasty style. Inside its Mahavira Hall, a white jade Buddha statue, approximately 9 feet tall and weighing tens of thousands of catties, is enshrined, donated by Dharma Master Hongzong from Singapore. The outdoor garden is planted with cherry and plum trees. Most notably, a jackfruit tree, symbolizing wisdom, grows beside the temple, bearing abundant fruit between September and December each year. Additionally, Wenshui Village's straw insulation baskets are rare handicrafts. The Fayun Temple Ancient Trail starts from Kaikuang Village's City God Temple and ends at Dahu Fayun Temple, spanning a total length of 1.8 kilometers. It served as an important transportation path for early settlers developing the Shuiweiping area of Dahu. The original ancient trail was located behind the current Kaikuang Elementary School, crossing the saddle of Jintong Mountain (Jianshan), descending to Fayun Temple's Bian Bridge, and reaching Shuiweiping in Dahu Township and the Wenshui area in Shitan Township. Later, due to the construction of Fayun Temple, the route shifted to the existing army mountain trail, and the earliest ancient trail is now difficult to trace.