Shitoushan Quanhua Temple — Quanhua Temple was built in 1897 and is located on the mountainside of the front mountain of Shitoushan. Among the temples on Shitoushan, Quanhua Temple is the largest in scale and the most magnificent in appearance.

Shitoushan Quanhua Temple. Quanhua Temple was built in 1897 and is located on the mountainside of the front mountain of Shitoushan. Among the temples on Shitoushan, Quanhua Temple is the largest in scale and the most magnificent in appearance. Quanhua Temple was built in 1897 and is located on the mountainside of the front mountain of Shitoushan. Among the temples on Shitoushan, Quanhua Temple is the largest in scale and the most magnificent in appearance. The temple halls are built using existing natural caves, with parts of the temple embedded in the mountain. Quanhua Temple has a magnificent exterior, and its interior decorations, such as stone carvings, wood carvings, and paintings, are simple yet beautiful, preserving rich and diverse traditional artworks. The pair of dragon pillars under the eaves are hand-carved. The right dragon holds a pearl in its mouth, while the left dragon does not. It is said that the sculptors were different, with one pillar and one dragon, featuring round and ancient shapes with soft and smooth lines. The octagonal stone windows with openwork carvings on the front eaves walls on both sides of the main hall of Quanhua Temple depict qilin with simple lines and robust shapes, possessing a profound rustic beauty. The octagonal cast-iron windows in the side rooms are elegantly shaped. The ground-level coiled dragon on the imperial path stone is lifelike, all of which are rare masterpieces worth a close look. The Ziyang Gate, the mountain gate of Shitoushan, is the most important historical site in Shitoushan and is the mandatory path for those visiting Shitoushan from the front mountain. It is a standalone gate tower with a corridor-style structure, featuring a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. The layout is majestic and grand, with two huge stone lions guarding the entrance. The Ziyang Gate is constructed with a mixed structure of bricks, tiles, earth, and stone, while the dougong (interlocking wooden brackets) on the gate are primarily made of wood. On the brick and stone facade, artisans divided it into several sections, each called a 'du'. The names of each du are... Address: 苗栗縣南庄鄉獅山村17鄰242號 Hours: 00:00–23:59 Miaoli