"Previously known as Inie Vegetation Hall or Buddha Hall, Lei Yin Temple was originally located of the North Gate of Yilan City Built during the Daoguang era of the Qing dynasty, the Temple has a history of over-170 years, and was small branch under the Vegetarian Sect of the Longhua Movement until Venerable Master came in 1953 and established the Yilan Buddhist Chanting Association. Since then, collective Buddhist practices started to become a trend. The Buddhist Chanting Association almost became another name for Lei Yin Temple so much so that to date, the bus stop of the North-Gate is still named Buddhist Chanting Association.
In 1956, Yilan Buddhist Chanting Association’s Vihara was completed, and became the first Dharma and cultivation center in the region. Inauguration of the Vihara was regarded as on extremely important event, thus on the day, Zhangjia Hutuketu, President of the Buddhist Association of the Republic of China and the elders of several monasteries presided over the ribbon cutting and inauguration ceremony. Enshrined inside the Vihara was of Amitabha Boddand, an early piece of work by sculptor Yong Ying teng, a resident of Yilan. The of the Vine Vinora was made up of numerous rectangular window grids making the building look like a Kasaya (monk's robe). Together with the 卍 sign on the root, the building symbolized the etemal existence of the Triple Gern: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, as well as the universally shing Buddha's light and forever flowing Dharma stream."
