Tainan Travel

Passing Dongshan Bixuan Temple, you will notice the two pure white stone elephants in the front. While temples usually have stone lions outside, this temple has white elephants, the reason being that the Samantabhadra Bodhisattva (普賢菩薩)has the image of riding a white elephant as he delivers all sentient beings. It was said that the dragon is the fiercest water creature; the elephant is the most powerful creature on land, able to carry heavy loads and fulfil the task of delivering sentient beings. This is why Bixuan Temple has elephants as the holy beasts in front of the temple. The temple is an offshoot of Biyun Temple and enshrines Zheng Er Ma(正二媽). On the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month every year, Zheng Er Ma is welcomed back to Biyun Temple for Chinese New Year and only returns to Bixuan Temple on the 10th day after the new year; as it returns, it passes through 13 villages. The route lined with pious worshippers, Zheng Er Ma is accompanied by escorts who cover the entire distance on foot. This long tradition continues to the present day and is a grand annual event for Bixuan Temple.