The Penghu Guanyin Temple (, Taiwanese: Phînn-ôo Kuan-im-tîng, meaning "the pavilion of Guanyin") is a Buddhist temple, like other temples which belongs to the Integration of Buddhism and Taoism in Taiwan, Guanyin Temple does not only serve Guanyin (Buddhist God), but also Long-Wang. (or Dragon King, é¾Âç in Chinese, a Taoist God, means the Lord of Sea Dragon.)
The present architectural form and layout date back to 1925, designed by Hsieh Chiang (è¬Âæ±Â) and his son Hsieh Tsu-nan (è¬ÂèªåÂÂ).
Since 2003, Guan-Yin-Ting would gather thousands of visitors from everywhere for attending the Firework Festival from April to June, it is located at the noted touristic attraction, close to the beach area.
This temple was founded in 1696 during the Qing Empire by Hsue Khui (èÂÂå¥Â), Vice General (å¯å°Â), a military officer of the Penghu Naval Garrison (æ¾Âæ¹Â水師åÂÂ). This location holds a highly advantageous strategic position, capable of guarding Penghu main island while providing distant surveillance over Pescadores and Baisha Island. Historical records indicate that military forces were stationed here prior to the Dutch occupation of Taiwan in 1622. Subsequent regimes, including the Kingdom of Tungning (æ±寧çÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ) and the Qing Empire, inherited and maintained this military deployment.The establishment of the Guanyin Pavilion is thus profoundly connected to the Qing Empire's naval defense system in this region.
In 1683, Navy General Shi Lang (or Sego / Secoe, æ½ç ) defeated Naval Tungning fleet. He attributed his victory to the blessings of Mazu and also claimed that Guanyin boosted the morale of his soldiers. This reflects the Qing government's favorable attitude toward Guanyin worship.
In 1764, Tai Fu (æ´ç¦Â), the acting commander (Vice General) of the Penghu Naval Garrison, played a leading role in the renovation of Guanyin Temple. The couplet hanging on both sides of the altar in the temple's eastern wing, bearing an inscription written in Chinese calligraphy, was installed by Tai Fu during the 29th year of the Qianlong reign (1764). This pair of couplets is recognized as the oldest surviving artifact in Guanyin Temple.
In 1781, a major renovation of Guanyin Temple was undertaken, involving complete demolition and reconstruction, which resulted in the temple's second-generation architectural layout. The project was financially supported and led by Chen Chuan (é³éÂÂ), the magistrate of Penghu, with additional contributions from officers of the Penghu Naval Garrison, including Ma Chiao (馬èÂÂ), Wen Ching (溫éÂÂ), and Wei Ta-pin (éÂÂ大æÂÂ).
In 1805, the 10th year of the Jiaqing reign, Penghu Naval Garrison officers such as Wang De-lu (çÂÂå¾Â祿), Chen Ching-hsing (é³æ¯æÂÂ), and Nie Shih-chun (è¶ä¸Âä¿Â) initiated another round of fundraising to support the temple's restoration.
In 1826, the 6th year of the Daoguang reign, to express their gratitude to the Dragon King for granting safe voyages, Chiang Yung (è£éÂÂ), the magistrate of Penghu, together with Penghu Naval Garrison officers Sun Te-fa (å«å¾Âç¼), Huang Pu-ching (é»ÂæÂ¥éÂÂ), and Lin Ting-fu (æÂÂå»·ç¦Â), advocated for public donations to construct the Dragon King Temple. The four rooms located on the east side of Penghu Guanyin Temple were demolished to make way for the construction of the Dragon King Temple. The Dragon King statue, which had previously been enshrined at Penghu Shuixian Temple and Penghu Mazu Temple, was relocated in the newly built Dragon King Temple.
In 1875, the first year of the Guangxu reign, Huang Hsueh-chou (é»Âå¸å¨), a tribute student at the time, took the lead in raising funds to rebuild the temple. According to the stele titled "Relocation of Wusheng Temple," which is still preserved at Penghu Wusheng Temple in ÃÂng-mnÃÂg-siânn (ç´ æ¯Âå / ç´ æ¨åÂÂ, a village in Magong City), Wu Chi-hsun (å³å¥Âå³), then deputy commander of the Penghu Naval Garrison, also supported the project. In Lu Wen-hsin's (Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂé«) research on Penghu temples and their architectural styles, he points out that the reconstruction and design were led by Yeh Ma-li (èÂÂ媽å©), great-grandfather of Yeh Ken-chuang, from ÃÂu-khut-thâm (å¾ÂçªÂæ½Â, a village in Magong City).
In 1884, the 10th year of the Guangxu reign, the Sino-French War eventually spread to northern Taiwan, including Keelung and Tamsui. The following year, on March 29, 1885 (Gregorian calendar), the Battle of Penghu broke out. French naval forces bombarded fortifications across Penghu. As Guanyin Temple was located within the military zone and stood near the Jinguitou Fortresst (éÂÂé¾Âé Âç ²å°), it did not escape the shelling. In addition, troops stationed in Magong at the time, including Cantonese and Zhejiang Taizhou soldiers, took advantage of the chaos to loot religious artifacts from temples.The looting incident was subtly recorded in "The Gazetteer of Penghu" (ãÂÂæ¾Âæ¹Â廳å¿ÂãÂÂ), written by Lin Hao (æÂÂ豪) in 1878. After the French forces occupied Penghu on March 31, 1885, further chaos unfolded around Guanyin Temple. Monks from the temple were reported to have sold Arhan statues to French soldiers, among other irregularities. The temple was left in a state of devastation.
On June 9, 1885 (Gregorian calendar), France and the Qing Empire signed the Sino-French Treaty in Tianjin. French Navy withdrew entirely from Penghu on August 4, 1885. Shortly afterward, Cheng Pang-chi (ç¨Âé¦åº) assumed office as the magistrate of Penghu and began overseeing the restoration of several temples, including the City God Temple of Magong and Penghu Guanyin Temple. The restoration of Guanyin Temple was completed in 1886, the 12th year of the Guangxu reign. In honor of the temple, Cheng Pang-chi presented a horizontal inscribed board bearing the phrase âÂÂGreat Compassionâ (大æ Âæ²).
Once the Sino-French War was over, the Qing government took a fresh look at its southeastern coastal defenses and reorganized its naval forces. The Penghu Naval Garrison (æ¾Âæ¹Â水師åÂÂ) was upgraded to the Penghu Naval Command (æ¾Âæ¹Â水師é®), with the rank of its commanding officer raised from Vice General (å¯å°Â, a subordinate second-rank position) to General (總堵, a full second-rank position). A record from 1891 shows that Wu Hung-lo (å³å®Âæ´Â), the first appointed General of the Penghu Naval Command, personally donated 500 taels of silver toward the restoration of Guanyin Temple.
In 1894 (the 20th year of the Guangxu reign), the First Sino-Japanese War broke out between the Qing Empire and the Empire of Japan over the Korean Peninsula. The Qing troops suffered defeat in the war. After several rounds of negotiations, the two sides signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki on April 17, 1895 (21st year of Guangxu, also 28th year of Meiji), officially ending the war. Among the treaty terms was the cession of Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to Japan. On May 8 of the same year, both parties exchanged ratified copies of the treaty in Yantai, Shandong. From that day forward, all Qing officials withdrew from Taiwan and Penghu, and the Empire of Japan formally assumed sovereignty over both territories.
After the Empire of Japan took possession of Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, it promptly launched a comprehensive survey of local customs and traditions. As Japan was also a nation deeply rooted in Buddhism, Japanese Buddhist institutions were gradually introduced into Taiwan. In Penghu, the Rinzai school (è¨æ¸Âå®Â, Rinzai-shà «) became the dominant sect. According to a government report from 1897 (Meiji 30), Guanyin Temple in Penghu was incorporated into the Myà Âshin-ji branch (Myà Âshin-ji-ha, å¦Âå¿Â寺派) of the Rinzai school, becoming a branch temple (bunji, Ã¥ÂÂ寺) under Myà Âshin-ji (å¦Âå¿Â寺), the head temple (daihonzan, 大æ¬山) located in Kyoto. The temple was formally renamed in Japanese as âÂÂHà Âkosan Kannon-jiâ (æ¾Âæ¹Âå±±è§Âé³寺), adopting a Japanese Buddhist title. During the Japanese colonial era, Guanyin Temple, backed by government support and set against a beautiful seaside backdrop, attracted worshipers from Japan and beyond, and quickly making a name for itself.
In the early years of Japanese rule, the government issued a ban on opium smoking. In response, the religious organization It-sin-sià(ä¸Âæ°社) in Penghu promoted anti-opium campaigns through the Phoenix Hall Faith (é¸Âå Âä¿¡ä»°), starting in 1901 (Meiji 34). Their efforts proved effective, and Phoenix Hall practices quickly gained popularity. In 1906 (Meiji 39), influenced by It-sin-sià, two key figures at Guanyin Temple, abbot Tsai Teh-hsiu (è¡德修) and Huang Yu-fu (é»ÂæÂÂç¦Â), who established the Iû-sin-siàat SÃÂng-siÃÂn-tnÃÂg (ç±æ°社çÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå Â) within the temple. Prominent local intellectuals, including Lin Chieh-ren (æÂÂä»Âä»Â) and Hsu Chin-ying (許æÂÂçºÂ), both are Qing licentiates, also joined as members. Phoenix Hall activities at Guanyin Temple remained active throughout the Japanese colonial period. However, after World War II, the temple's management was transferred to the Penghu Buddhist Association (æ¾Âæ¹Âä½ÂæÂÂæÂÂ), and Phoenix Hall practices were suppressed and eventually came to a halt for a time.
In August 1926 (Taishà  15), Guanyin Temple had fallen into disrepair due to age. An article titled âÂÂRenovating an Ancient Templeâ published in the Taiwan Daily News reported that a local Penghu merchant, Chung Hung-chang (é¾素æ¨Â), and others had applied for government permission to raise funds for its reconstruction. The fundraising campaign was planned to last for three years.
Reconstruction officially began in March 1927 (Shà Âwa 2), and by October of the same year, the renovation work was completed. During the completion ceremony, several Japanese officials attended the event, including Masanaga Kichijirà  (å¢Âæ°¸åÂÂ次éÂÂ), then Magistrate of the Hà Âko Prefecture (æ¾Âæ¹Â廳é·, in office from July 1926 to September 1928), Miura Mitsuji (ä¸Â浦å Â次), Mayor of Makà  (馬堬è¡Âé·, in office from October 1924 to July 1938), and Commander Iida (飯ç°) of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
During the renovation, the statues in Guanyin Temple were temporarily relocated and enshrined at Hsiyan Buddhist Temple (西å·Â寺, 西巠means western rocks) in Tship-á-uan (ç·Â馬ç£ / ä©ä»Âç£, means in bay of barnacles in Taiwanese), Seisho shà  (西嶼åºÂ); modern-day Chìma Village, Xiyu Township (西嶼éÂÂ赤馬æÂÂ).Penghu Guanyin Temple's current form and layout date back to the Shà Âwa-era renovation, which was designed by Hsieh Chiang (è¬Âæ±Â) and his son, Hsieh Tsu-nan (è¬ÂèªåÂÂ). As a side note, Hsieh Chiang was also a native of ÃÂu-khut-thâm (å¾ÂçªÂæ½Â). His mentor, Yeh Ma-li (èÂÂ媽å©), had previously overseen the 1875 renovation project of Guanyin Temple in Penghu. The renovation project drew widespread support, as the temple had held official status during the Qing Emire as the âÂÂOfficial Temple of All PenghuâÂÂ. Funding for the reconstruction came primarily from donations by male and female devotees across all 51 villages in the archipelago. Among them, villages in Seisho shà  (西嶼åºÂ) contributed the largest amounts, Tship-á-uan (ç·Â馬ç£), LÃÂi-uann (å §åµ), GuÃÂ-uann (å¤Âåµ), Sió-tî-kak (å°Âæ± è§Â), and Hsiyan Buddhist Temple (西å·Â寺) ranked as the top five donors, and all of these locations are within Seisho shà  (Morden-day Xiyu Township, or Pescadores).
This pattern not only reflects the deep religious devotion of the Pescadores villagers, but also highlights the closer relationship between Pescadores and the Magong Harbor area during the Qing dynasty and Japanese colonial period, one that was notably stronger than what exists today.
From 1944 to 1945 (Shà Âwa 19âÂÂ20), during the final years of the Pacific War, Penghu was drawn into the conflict and came under aerial bombardment by American forces. The Magong harbor area, including Guanyin Temple and its surroundings, was not spared from the attacks.
To protect sacred artifacts from the bombings, several temples near Magong Harbor, such as Guanyin Temple and Nanjia Hailing Temple (Ã¥ÂÂç²海éÂÂ殿), relocated their statues to safer locations in the countryside. The deities from Guanyin Temple were temporarily enshrined at ÃÂng-nâ-tàBuddhist Temple (素羠罩éÂÂ蠻寺), present-day Hongluo Village in Huxi Township (æ¹Â西éÂÂç´ ç¾ æÂÂ). The statues were returned to Guanyin Temple only after the end of World War II.
Additionally, during the Japanese colonial period, Penghu Guanyin Temple was officially registered under the address â 946 Makà Â, Makà  kai, Hà Âko chà Â.â (æ¾Âæ¹ÂåºÂ馬堬è¡Â馬堬946çªå°)
The Era of Master Kuang-tzâÂÂu
In 1945, World War II came to an end, and Japan announced its surrender on August 15. In October of the same year, the Republic of China took over Taiwan and the Penghu Islands. This marked the beginning of the Republic of China period for the region.
In 1949 (Year 38 of the Republic of China), following the Kuomintang's defeat in the Chinese Civil War, a large influx of officials, soldiers, military dependents, and refugees arrived in Taiwan from mainland China. Due to a severe shortage of military housing, many military units were stationed in temples, private residences, and ancestral halls across the island,Penghu Guanyin Temple was no exception.
During this period, Northern-style Buddhist organizations such as the Buddhist Association of China (ä¸ÂÃ¥ÂÂä½ÂæÂÂæÂÂ) began to assert influence over Taiwan's Buddhist community. Around 1950, Master Kuang-tzâÂÂu (廣æ Âæ³Â師), who came from Nanjing, arrived at Penghu Guanyin Temple and subsequently assumed responsibility for its management.
In 1953, the Penghu Branch of the Taiwan Provincial Buddhist Association, also known as the Penghu Buddhist Association (æ¾Âæ¹Âä½ÂæÂÂæÂÂ), was founded at Penghu Guanyin Temple, with Master Kuang-tzâÂÂu as its first chairman. Acting under the name of the Penghu Buddhist Association, Master Kuang-tzâÂÂu organized numerous blessing ceremonies and charitable events, including rice distributions for the poor. He earned widespread respect from both local officials and residents. During this period, Guanyin Temple became a vital center of Buddhist faith in Penghu.
In 1959, the same year the renovated Guanyin Temple was completed, Master Kuang-tzâÂÂu founded "Right Faith Kindergarten" (Cheng-hsin Kindergarten, æ£信幼ç¨ÂÃ¥ÂÂ) in October through large-scale fundraising efforts. However, serious disputes later arose between him and the board of directors over issues of management and property ownership.
In 1960, Penghu County Councilor Hsu Chi-sheng (許ç´ÂçÂÂ) raised inquiries regarding the management systems of the "three major public temples of Penghu" (Including of Guanyin Temple, Penghu Mazu Temple, and Magong City God Temple), and specifically urged the county government to investigate the financial accounts of Guanyin Temple. Although the matter ultimately ended without resolution, it significantly damaged the reputation of the Penghu Buddhist Association. Criticism had already been mounting over the fact that Master Kuang-tzâÂÂu, who had long served as chairman, had never organized leadership re-elections.
In 1962, Councilor Hsu Teng-chueh (許çÂÂçµ) went a step further, demanding the dissolution of the Penghu Buddhist Association and calling for the County Education Department to reexamine the property rights of the Right Faith Kindergarten. Unable to resolve the growing conflict between the county council and the Buddhist Association, the Penghu County Government referred the matter to the Taiwan Provincial Government for arbitration. In response, the provincial authorities ruled that the Buddhist Association need not be dissolved but required a reorganization of its structure.
Although the Penghu Buddhist Association managed to avoid disbandment, its public standing steadily declined after the incident. By 1963, new Buddhist temples such as Hsin-yuan Temple (ä¿¡é¡Â寺) and Chao-yin Temple (æ½®é³寺) were established in the Magong area, attracting large numbers of followers. Eventually, Master Kuang-tzâÂÂu left Penghu amid allegations concerning his personal conduct, leaving Guanyin Temple leaderless and no longer the central hub of Buddhist faith in the region.
Revival of the Phoenix Hall Tradition
After years of decline, some devotees of Guanyin Temple sought to revive the Phoenix Hall (é¸Âå Â) tradition that had once flourished during the Japanese colonial period. In 1974, they first invited members of the Phoenix Hall at Penghu Sanguan Temple (æ¾Âæ¹Âä¸Âå®Â殿) in Penghu to provide guidance. On August 21 of that year, the Iû-sin Clubï¼ÂSÃÂng-siÃÂn Hall (ç±æ°社ï¼ÂçÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå Â) was reestablished at Guanyin Temple. Chen Ma-he (é³媽åÂÂ) was appointed president of Iû-sin Club, and Kuo Chen-chia (éÂÂæÂÂ家) was named the hall master of SÃÂng-siÃÂn Hall. Together, they promulgated a set of Ten Rules to serve as the formal code of conduct for the revived organization.
The three major public temples of Penghu are all located in the Magong Harbor areaâÂÂcommonly known as the Three Jia of Magong (媽宮ä¸Âç²): East Jia (æ±ç²), South Jia (Ã¥ÂÂç²), and North Jia (Ã¥ÂÂç²). Their close proximity often led to overlapping religious activities and mutual influence.
From 1982 to 1984, one of the three major public temples, Magong City God Temple held annual land processions (pilgrimage tours) for three consecutive years. In 1984, Penghu Mazu Temple organized a maritime pilgrimage for Mazu.
By 1986, a significant change occurred in the management structure of the three temples. Previously, the responsibility for temple administration rotated annually among the three Jia. That year, the system was formalized as follows: East Jia would manage Magong City God Temple, South Jia would manage Mazu Temple, and North Jia would oversee Guanyin Temple.
Desiring to organize a procession of their own, Guanyin Temple's key figures, Chen Ma-he (é³媽åÂÂ) and Hsueh Kuang-tsan (èÂÂå Âç¦), proposed the idea of an âÂÂAerial Procession for Guanyin Bodhisattva.â The proposal received official support from then Penghu County Mayor Ou Chien-chuang (æÂÂ堠壯) and Lieutenant General Mao Meng-yi (æ¯Â夢漪) of the Penghu Defense Command.
Penghu Guanyin Temple chartered three small aircraft from Yunghsing Airlines (æ°¸èÂÂèª空) to carry the statues of Guanyin Bodhisattva on an aerial pilgrimage around the Penghu Islands. These aerial processions took place twice, in 1987 and 1988.
In 1989, the aerial tour expanded beyond Penghu. After completing a circular flight over the islands, the Guanyin statue was flown to Taiwan's main island. On July 10, it departed from Magong Airport and landed at Kaohsiung Siaogang Airport (KHH). The next day, on July 11, the aircraft departed from Kaohsiung and flew over Hengchun, Taitung, Hualien, Yilan, and Keelung, finally arriving at Taipei Songshan Airport at 2:33 PM. The statue was warmly welcomed by major temples such as Longshan Temple and Zhinan Temple in Taipei.
On July 12, the plane made its return journey along Taiwan's western corridor, flying over Hsinchu, Taichung, and Chiayi, before returning to Magong Airport in Penghu. On July 13, a vegetarian banquet and thanksgiving ritual.
After its revival, the club in the Phoenix Hall gained wide acclaim for organizing the aerial pilgrimage of Guanyin Bodhisattva. In addition to this unprecedented event, the Hall also published three books on Luan (é¸Â) belief and practices in 1979, 1980, and 1982. It regularly held sutra-chanting ceremonies and engaged in charity work to assist low-income households. However, as key members aged and died, the Phoenix Hall-related activities gradually declined. In 2009, following the death of its leading figure Chu Maolin (æ±èÂÂæÂÂ), the Phoenix Hall practices at Penghu Guanyin Temple came to a complete halt.
In response to evolving legal frameworks in Taiwan, many traditional temple organizations across the island gradually transitioned to modern governance structures, such as religious foundations or management committees. On December 27, 2014, Penghu Guanyin Temple officially established the Penghu Guanyin Temple Management Committee, with Wang Shun-Hui (çÂÂé Âè¼Â) appointed as the first chairperson, and Lin Song-Te (æÂÂæ¾德) as the Vice Chairperson.
With a long-standing history dating back to the Qing Empire, the structure of Penghu Guanyin Temple has undergone four major transformations, summarized in the table below.
The current architectural appearance of Penghu Guanyin Temple was established in 1927 (Shà Âwa 2 of the Japanese colonial period), based on a design and construction by master carpenters Hsieh Chiang (è¬Âæ±Â) and his son Hsieh Tzu-nan (è¬ÂèªåÂÂ), who hailed from ÃÂu-khut-thâm (å¾ÂçªÂæ½Â, present-day Chongguang Village, Magong City). The main structure follows a âÂÂtwo-hall, five-bayâ layout, with a nearly square floor plan. Flanking the central structure are one wing on each side, expanding the layout to a âÂÂtwo-hall, seven-bayâ configuration. The connecting corridors serve both as protective wings and as covered walkways. Behind each wing stands a bell or drum tower, a highly novel and rare architectural feature in Taiwan at that time.
After the end of World War II in 1945, many temples and residential buildings across Penghu remained damaged by wartime destruction. While local residents hoped to restore their community temples, postwar financial hardship made such efforts difficult. Meanwhile, the Taiwan Provincial Government of the Republic of China viewed temple-building as a superstitious practice rooted in the worship of divine authority and sought to suppress it, offering no support for the reconstruction of religious sites. As a result, Penghu Guanyin Temple remained in a dilapidated state for some time. It was not until 1957 that a group of local figuresâÂÂKuo Shih-tou (éÂÂç³é Â), Pao Wu (é®Âé§), Tsai Chen (è¡é£), Hsu Teng-chueh (許çÂÂçµ), and Hsieh Keng-yin (èÂÂåºÂ寠), who came forward to first overcome political barriers and then organize the âÂÂMagong 3 jia Citizens' Committee for the Reconstruction of Guanyin Temple.â By mobilizing donations from 38 villages in Penghu County, they successfully launched the first postwar renovation project, which was completed on May 19, 1959.
On November 27, 1985, Penghu Guanyin Temple was registered by the Ministry of the Interior as a âÂÂGrade III Historic Site.â In 1996, following amendments to the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act, it was reclassified as a "County-Level Monument", with oversight transferred to the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Penghu County Government.
The architectural layout of Guanyin Temple follows the traditional pattern of "backing the mountain and facing the water" , in this case, the Penghu Inner Sea. The temple's front façade features five bays flanked by two side wings. The width proportions of the main gate follow a 1.36 : 1 : 1.39 ratio for the central, sub, and side bays, respectively. The roof ridge is divided into five segments. While the main and sub bays appear separated by roof beams visually, they actually share a continuous roof ridge structurally.
The main structure features a three-bay open roof design, with the two side wings directly attached to the central building. The walls of the side wings are built in a âÂÂhorsebackâ shape (curved gables). Viewed from the forecourt, the temple presents a symmetrical appearance, with a prominent bell tower on the west and drum tower on the east, creating a harmonious composition.
Two guardian lions, one male and one female, now stand in the plaza of Penghu Guanyin Temple. Made of grey plaster mixed with glutinous rice paste, they originally stood in front of the Qing-era the administrative office of the Penghu Naval Garrison, completed in 1887. The Penghu Naval Headquarters was completed in 1887. After the Japanese takeover in 1895, the building served as the first HÃ Âko Prefecture Hall (Penghu County Hall).
By the 1930s, the original hall constructed mainly of wood, it had become dilapidated. The Japanese government decided to build a new office at a different site. The second-generation Hà Âko Prefecture Hall was completed on December 31, 1934, and officially opened on February 11, 1935. The pair of guardian lions from the old naval office was relocated to the front of Penghu Guanyin Temple in 1937 (Shà Âwa 12).