Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(Lóngshān Sì; 211 Guangzhou St; 6am-10pm; Longshan Temple)
Founded in 1738 by Han
immigrants from Fujian, this temple has served, in addition to being a house of worship,
as a municipal, guild and self-defence centre. These days it is one of the city's top reli-
gious sites, and a prime venue for exploring both Taiwan's vibrant folk faith (
Click here
)
and its unique temple arts and architecture (
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).
Longshan is dedicated to the bodhisattva of mercy, Guanyin, though in true Taiwanese
style there are over 100 other gods and goddesses worshipped in the rear and side halls.
Matsu, goddess of the sea, is enshrined in the back centre; Wenchang Dijun, the god of
literature, to the far right (come during exam period to see how important he is); red-
faced Guan Gong, the god of war and patron of police and gangsters, enshrined to the far
left; and in front of that, the Old Man under the Moon, known as the Matchmaker or the
Chinese cupid.
As with most temples in Taiwan, Longshan has been rebuilt multiple times after de-
struction by earthquakes, typhoons and even bombing in the last days of WWII. The
present structure (with elements from the masterful 1920s and post-WWII reconstruc-
tions) doesn't have the same flow and elegance as Bao'an Temple, but it is still an im-
pressive structure with sweeping swallowtail eaves, colourful
jiǎnniàn
(mosaic-like
temple decoration) figures on the roof, and elaborate stone and woodcarvings.
Check out the two-of-their-kind bronze pillars outside the front hall and the incense
holders outside the main hall. The handles depict a common temple motif: 'the fool hold-
ing up the sky'. The Western-style appearance of the 'fools' is no coincidence. They are
said to represent the Dutch (or sometimes Dutch slaves), who occupied Taiwan in the
17th century.
The best times to visit Longshan are around 6am, 8am and 5pm, when crowds of wor-
shippers gather and engage in hypnotic chanting. Or try Guanyin's birthday on Lunar 19
February, or the weeks before and during Chinese New Year.
Zhongshan Hall
HISTORIC BUILDING
(Zhōngshān Táng;
http://english.zsh.taipei.gov.tw
;
98 Yanping S Rd; 9am-9pm; ; Ximen)
This handsome four-storey building, constructed in 1936 for the coronation of
Emperor Hirohito, is where the Japanese surrender ceremony was held in October 1945,
and later where Chiang Kai-shek delivered public speeches from the terrace following
his four 're-elections'. The 3rd-floor tearoom contains the masterwork
Water Buffalo
by
Huang Tu-shui (1895-1930), the first Taiwanese artist to study in Japan.
Zhongshan Hall was one of the most modern buildings in Taiwan at the time it was
built, and blends modernist and Western classical styling. Note the filings on the bricks
