ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the history of the Yimin temple in present-day Xinzhu county, northwestern Taiwan, to explore the impact of the changes. The Japanese colonial government confronted the Yimin temple and other Taiwan religious institutions in 1899 with Taiwan Governor-General's Office Order No. 59, which dealt with shrines, Buddhist monasteries and temples. By this order, temples are divided into civilian temples and official temples. The order recognized that some temples, such as the Literary Temple or the City God Temple, had come under the direct purview of the local official under Qing rule, and took over their properties and management. When the Japanese government took over Taiwan in 1895, institutions such as the Yimin temple posed a challenge to its rule. The minutes of the Yimin temple's meetings from 1915 on show that the committee discussed the annual budget in March, and deliberated on the financial report around November or December.
