Department of Cultural Affairs

Huguo Chan Buddhist Temple of the Linji School

Huguo Chan Buddhist Temple of the Linji School was founded by the Japanese Zen master Tokuan Genshu to propagate Buddhist teachings, at the invitation of the fourth Japanese governor-general of Taiwan, Kodama Gentaro. The temple took eleven years to construct, and the Linji school of Chan Buddhism (in Japanese, the Rinzai school of Zen), along with the Soto school, subsequently became a highly influential form of Buddhism in Taiwan.
The temple compound initially included a Main Gate, a Dharma Hall, a Grand Sanctuary and an Abbot’s Chapel. The original Main Gate and Grand Sanctuary remain fully preserved and in good condition to the present day. The Grand Sanctuary in particular was constructed with exacting workmanship. The Huguo Chan Buddhist Temple of the Linji School is now regarded as the finest wooden temple remaining from the Japanese colonial period.