Fo Guang Shan Jile Temple

Fo Guang Shan Jile Temple is located in Xinyi District, in the heart of Keelung City. It is a multi-functional monastic center that encompasses culture, art, social education, Dharma propagation, and communal practice, combining both traditional and modern elements. There is a parking lot opposite the temple. It is bordered by the Keelung Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare to the east, the Martyrs' Shrine to the west, Zhongzheng Park to the north, and the Tianliao River to the south. Strategically located in the administrative and cultural education center of Keelung City, it boasts excellent accessibility and convenient transportation. With mountains behind it and water in front, the environment is serene and beautiful. Jile Temple is built into the hillside, with its golden roof tiles shimmering in the sunlight. During the rainy season, it evokes a sense of the Dharma's widespread blessings. The eight-story architectural structure stands majestically on a bustling commercial street, appearing harmoniously solemn and strikingly conspicuous. At the center of the mountain gate stands a smiling Maitreya Bodhisattva, a testament to the temple's characteristic human joy and care since its establishment by Venerable Master Xiuhui. Inside and outside the temple, lush flowers and trees create a beautiful and serene environment, offering a spiritual home where busy modern people can find solace and expand their wisdom for body, mind, and spirit. The predecessor of Jile Temple, 'Guangzun Temple,' was founded in the Meiji 38th year of the Japanese colonial period (1905). It was later taken over by Fo Guang Shan and rebuilt in 1991 (Republic of China year 80). It is Fo Guang Shan's largest monastic center in northern Taiwan, blending modern style with traditional elements. In addition to general meditation halls, lecture halls, and libraries, it also features a social education center, a vegetarian restaurant, and various other hardware and software facilities. The exterior of the Mahavira Hall (Main Shrine) is majestic and solemn, and the Buddha statues integrated with the hall's murals often inspire a natural sense of peace in visitors. The stone Guanyin (Avalokitesvara) statue in the flower garden to the right of the entrance and the smiling Maitreya Buddha statue at the mountain gate frequently draw a continuous stream of devotees and passersby who offer their respects. This temple, which blends ancient and modern, integrating Dharma affairs, culture, and education, is deeply revered by the people of the Keelung area.