Yilan Bixia Temple

Date CapturedMay 2nd, 2020 at 05:53 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IIApertureƒ / 7.1Shutter Speed1/200 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO100Exposure Value13.3 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Built in 1896 by local gentry Yang Shifang and Li Wangyang, this temple in central Yilan City is dedicated to Yue Fei, the legendary Song dynasty general celebrated for his loyalty and resistance against foreign invasion. The name derives from the phrase azure blood and loyal heart looking at the dawn clouds (碧血丹心望曉霞), said to have been chosen to obscure the temple’s Taiwanese nationalist purpose during Japanese rule. In 1997, it became the first county-designated historic site in Taiwan, and annual ceremonies honoring Yue Fei continue to be held with participation from government officials.

The area behind the temple was formerly a cluster of Japanese colonial era dormitories later assigned to Taipower workers. After they were decommissioned the site was razed and converted into Yang Shifang Memorial Garden (楊士芳紀念林園).