Longshan Temple (Taipei Air Raid Site)

Longshan Temple (艋舺龍山寺), located in Taipei's historic Wanhua (formerly Manka/艋舺) district, is one of the oldest and most important temples in Taiwan. Originally constructed in 1738 by settlers from Fujian Province during the Qing dynasty, the temple is dedicated to Guanyin Bodhisattva (觀世音菩薩) and has survived earthquakes, typhoons, and termite infestations throughout its nearly three-century history.

During the May 31, 1945 Taipei Air Raid, the temple's main hall (正殿) and left corridor (左廊) received direct bomb hits and were completely destroyed. Among the cultural treasures lost was the original sculpture "Shakyamuni Descending the Mountain" (釋迦出山) by renowned Taiwanese sculptor Huang Tu-shui (黃土水, 1895-1930), one of the most important works of modern Taiwanese art. Only the plaster mold survived.

The most famous story from the bombing involves the Guanyin statue. Despite the total destruction of the main hall around it, the Guanyin Bodhisattva figure remained perfectly intact, seated serenely on its lotus pedestal amid the rubble. Devotees attributed this to the deity's supernatural protection.

Even more remarkably, in the weeks before the air raid, local residents had been using the space beneath the Guanyin statue's lotus platform as an air-raid shelter. However, on the evening before the May 31 attack, an unusually severe mosquito infestation drove all the sheltering residents to return home. When the main hall was destroyed the next morning, no one was inside. Locals interpreted this as Guanyin deliberately driving the mosquitoes to save her devotees, and the story greatly intensified reverence for the temple.

The temple was rebuilt after the war, with the current edifice completed and rededicated in 1959. Today it stands as a Grade 2 national monument and receives millions of visitors annually. While no specific air-raid memorial plaque exists at the temple, the story of Guanyin's miraculous survival is well known and frequently recounted by temple guides.