Jiantan Temple

Because he had subdued the monster by throwing his sword, the pool was named Jiantan, 'Sword Pool'. On the temple's age, the Taiwan Prefecture Gazetteer records 'a Guanyin temple at Jiantan in Bazhilan'. The Tamsui Subprefecture Gazetteer records that Jiantan Temple was built in 1773 (the 38th year of the Qianlong reign) with donations from Wu Tinggao and others. According to a stele at the temple, the monk Ronghua, passing this way, found a snake blocking his path. He divined, received a very auspicious result, and founded a temple here. Later Baiyi Dashi (the White-Robed Bodhisattva) appeared in a dream, saying that eight boats would pass from Shanghai via Keelung and that funds could be raised from them. This came true, and the temple was completed. In the late Japanese colonial period it was forced to move to its present site in Dazhi. In front of the temple stands an archway with a green-tiled roof, inscribed with the four characters 'Jiantan Gusi' (Jiantan Ancient Temple). Old columns and stone steles from the former temple are preserved in the grounds, and the many marks on the columns record its history.

Translated and shortened by DealTaipei from Taiwan's national tourism database. Sources are on the terms page.