Sunday, March 4, 2012

Taipei: Temples

Confucius Temple:
Was built during the Qing dynasty; it is dedicated to education, but on my visit there were no acolytes in evidence.

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Boa-an Temple:
Located directly adjacent to the Confucius temple, it is the oldest Buddhist temple in Taipei. It stays busy, but not as busy as Longshan temple.

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Guandu Temple:
Located far to the northwest of city center, get off at the Guandu stop on the red line, then take one of the frequent mini-buses the short distance to the temple. This is quite simply the must-see temple in Taipei. First of all, it exists in multiple levels, stretching to the top of the hillside, and affording nice views of the river.

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Secondly, there are a pair of tunnels running through the mountainside. They are lined with icons of minor Buddhist gods and bas-reliefs of religious scenes.

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