As one of the four major ancient temples in Tainan, Mituo Temple was a subject of study for Lu Jia Xing who wrote two articles entitled, “Tainan Ancient Temple –Mituo Temple” and “A Further Study on Tainan Ancient Temple – Mituo Temple”. He wrote about the history of the temple by making use of various records as references.Those records include ‘The Ancestors’ Scroll ‘, ‘the Records of the Taiwan County Annals’, ‘Revision of the Taiwanese County Annals’, ‘Fan Cuan Prefecture Annals’, ‘the Records of the Rebuilding of Mitho Temple written in 1805’, ‘the Records of the Rebuilding Mituo Temple written in 1929’, as well as his own testimony. Thus Lu Jia Xing made a thorough study and research of Mituo Temple’s history and his research gave us an understanding of the temple’s role ranging from the Ming Ching Dynasty through the war of the Meiji age to the Taisho. During the Taisho period, the temple was used by the government as a local court. Later, Wang Zhoa Lin suggested a fundraiser to restore the temple. Post World War II, Si Yuan Bin took over as head of the temple. My article, “The Early Age of Taiwan Buddhist History”, published in Chung Hwa Buddhist Journal, issue eight, page 273-314, makes use of their research. My book, ‘The Buddhist Interaction History among Taiwan, Fuchian Province and Japan’, also includes excerpts from their research in my discussions on ‘A related History of Mituo Temple’ Page 103-111 and ‘Emphasised relations between Wang Zhoa Lin and Mituo Temple”. From pages 642 to 651 I go on to discuss Wang Zhoa Lin as the head of Mituo Temple when he established the Tainan Housekeeping Institution. I also dissert its historical process and later developments. The name was later changed to Tainan Housekeeping Girls’ College. It then underwent further name changes to that of the Tainan He Jing Private Girls High School and the Tainan Business Girls’ School. After World War II it became the Private Guang Hua Girls High School. Its location has been transferred to Zhu Yuan Ding, which covers more than five thousand square meters and its current address is 41 Sheng Li Road, Tainan City. My research more or less helped to add more information to Lu Jia Xing’s articles. After the articles were published, I had a chance to make contact with Master Shi Yuan Bin’s brother, Wu Long U and his disciples, Shi Yin Hong and Shi Yin Li. I have obtained more documents about Wang Zhao Lin as well as an oral history from them. I hope I can make a complete historical discussion on Mituo’s 400 year history.Thus this article’s research will afford us an understanding of Mituo Temple extending from Ming Ching Dynasty through the Japanese colonial period to post World War II. I also endeavor to thoroughly dissert the role of the nun, Shi Yuan Bing, who devoted her entire life to the restoration of Mituo temple.
