艋舺清水巖

Bangka's Top Three Temples (艋舺三大廟門)

While Taipei City as a whole is known for its ‘Top Three Temples’, the city’s historic Bangka District (艋舺區), which is now more commonly known as Wanhua (萬華區), boasts (at least) two of those top three, and is so important to the history and development of Taipei that locals will insist that it has its own dedicated list.

“Bangka,” which is pronounced as ‘Báng-kah in Taiwanese Hokkien, or simply as “Monga” (艋舺) in Mandarin, is historically-speaking one of the most important areas of Taipei, and it’s long history is steeped in both the culture and religions of Taiwan. Once one of the most commercially successful areas of Taipei, thanks to its proximity to the Xindian River (新店溪), Bangka has served as a centre of commerce for over three hundred years. Originally settled by the tribes of Taiwan’s Plains Indigenous Peoples (平埔族), followed by Hokkien (閩南人) immigrants, and most recently by Chinese refugees of the civil war, the district has been in a constant state of change over its modern history, with the influx of newcomers, who brought with them their own ways of life, and of course, their religious practices.

Nevertheless, despite the district being home to Taipei’s hip and modern Shibuya-like shopping district, Ximending (西門町), as well as a number of night markets and historic attractions, it is a neighborhood that sadly finds itself in decline, with an aging population, high rates of unemployment, and seedy underbelly, all of which are issues that the local government aims at combatting in order to help revive its fortunes. That being said, if you are visiting Taipei and want to experience the history of the city, there is no better place to visit than Bangka - this area is truly unlike anywhere else in the city and walking around, you’re likely to have distinct feeling that you’ve travelled back in time to an older, livelier and somewhat seedier version of one of Asia’s most important cities where its places of worship have been integral parts of the daily lives of its residents for hundreds of years.

Like most of the buildings in the district, the places of worship in Bangka are historical relics that share an interconnected relationship with the various groups of immigrants who have made their way Taiwan over the past few centuries, and made the most of their lives in a new land helping to forge Taiwan into the vibrant nation that it is today.

When it comes to the Top Three temples of Bangka there is a bit of inconsistency in both the Chinese-speaking world as well as that in the opinion of foreign visitors as to which temples actually belong on the list. While others may disagree, my list will take into consideration what the majority consider the 'Top Three' but I'll also include the temples which often make the list as well as provide links to my posts about each of the temples for further details.

Longshan Temple (艋舺龍山寺)

Longshan Temple is probably Taiwan's most well-known temple - The temple is one of Taiwan's busiest places of worship and is always jam-packed with tourists who come to view this beautifully designed and well-preserved temple.

The temple has a history that dates back to 1738 and like Bao-An temple, also has a close relationship with the Hokkien immigrants who came to Taiwan several centuries ago. Longshan Temple is primarily dedicated to Guanyin (觀音菩薩), the Buddha of Compassion, but like many other places of worship in Taiwan has shrines set up to Taoist and Chinese Folk Religion deities making it a very convenient temple for the faithful of Taiwan.

When it comes to design, this temple is second to none and is one of the most beautiful specimens of Chinese-style temple architecture in Taiwan, if not the whole world.


Qingshan Temple (艋舺青山宮)

Qingshan Temple is one of the most interesting temples in Taipei and its Qingshan King Festival is one of the most lively Temple events on the yearly calendar. The temple dates back to 1854 and if the temple hadn't of been built, Bangka would be a completely different place than it is today.

Interestingly, the temple sits in the middle of what is known as 'Taipei's First Street' (台北第一街) and is near the former wharf which made the Bangka district an economic powerhouse.

The temple is dedicated to the Qingshan King (青山王), a historical figure from China's warring states period and is thought to have the ability to cure sickness and disease. The king is also well known for his ability to drive out evil and when he comes out of his temple once a year to inspect the district, the festival that follows is one of the coolest cultural events that you'll ever experience

If it was left up to me, this temple would be on the list of not only the top temples in Bangka and Taipei, but the top three of Taiwan. A visit to the temple comes highly recommended!


Qingshui Temple (艋舺清水巖)

Qingshui Temple is often considered to be one of the temples on the list of the 'Top Three' in Taipei. The temple is dedicated to Master Qingshui (清水祖師), a popular Buddhist monk and folk-hero whose worship, like the Hokkien immigrants themselves was imported to Taiwan.

The temple makes the list as one of the 'Top Three' due to its age and the important relationship it has played throughout history with a specific group of immigrants who have made the Bangka (艋舺) district the special place it is today.


Honourable Mention: Taipei Mazu Temple (台北天后宮)

Taipei's Tian Hou Temple, which is often also referred to as Taipei's Mazu Temple (台北媽祖廟) is often added to the list of the 'Top Three Temples' of Bangka. Its inclusion on the list is debatable but what isn't is the interesting history the temple has experienced since its construction and how it has been able to endure over the past 270 years.

The temple is situated within the busy Ximending Shopping District (西門町) and is unlike the other larger temples as it is somewhat hidden from the street. The temple is extremely popular with tourists from Japan and although guide books don't spend much time talking about it, it is one of the more interesting temples in the city to visit!


Taipei's Top Three Temples (台北三大廟門)

Modern Taiwan is a mixed bag of many different ethnicities, cultural influences, traditions and histories, but one of the uniting factors that brings people together is that of the deep-rooted spiritual and religious traditions practiced by the people across the nation.

As visitors to this beautiful island nation, whatever past experiences you may have had while traveling in other countries, or any preconceived notions may have about the combination of tourism and religion, you really don’t have to worry about any of these things when you’re here. If you take the time to visit any place of worship in this country, you’ll never have to fear being approached by weirdos wanting to convert you, nor will anyone ever hit you up for donations.

For the people of Taiwan, spirituality is something that is considered to be private, and you’ll discover that people are extremely tolerant and respectful of others. Suffice to say, unlike so many other places around the world, its highly unlikely that anyone in Taiwan will ever ask about your religious beliefs, and that is one reason why religious conflict is something that seems almost unimaginable here. 

That being said, the religious experience here is also a mixed bag that includes ‘zen-like’ solitary experiences where you might find yourself enjoying beautiful mountain views, listening to the humming of Buddhist chants while sipping on some locally grown tea - or you could find yourself walking amongst crowds of thousands of people in the midst of a rambunctious procession of drum-beating trucks with fireworks and firecrackers being set off mere meters away.  

For the most part, the people of Taiwan are polytheistic, practicing a blend of Buddhism, Taoism and Chinese Folk Religion. Nevertheless, thanks to democratic reforms over the past few decades, religious diversity is a cherished and protected right, allowing the people of Taiwan the freedom to practice any faith they choose - or to come up their own religion if they see fit! As of 2020, the government officially recognizes twenty-six different religions, but save for some foreign imports like Christianity, Islam, Mormonism and Scientology, most of them are related to, or offshoots of the big three mentioned above. Data indicates that nearly 75% of the population identifies with one of these three religions. From personal experience however, I’d argue that these numbers are likely skewed by the fact that most people make little to no differentiation between the three, so when asked on an official census, they likely just checked a box.

Taiwan’s places of worship come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from miniature shrines, located along mountain paths to massive awe-inspiring palaces - so with more than 30,000 places of worship throughout the country, you’d probably think that it would be difficult to choose just a handful that stand out above the rest, but that actually isn't the case. The so-called 'big' temples, in Taipei at least, are easily identifiable, and each of them share a rich and interconnected history with the local community and the immigrants who settled here centuries ago. When it comes to the most influential places of worship in Taiwan, size is rarely one of the factors that ultimately determines the significance of one of these places, and you’ll definitely see that on the list below. That being said, one thing you’re likely to notice is that the further you travel outside of the capital, the larger some of these places of worship become. 

When I originally wrote this article in 2017, I was still somewhat new to the whole travel blogging thing, so after about six years, I’ve decided to give the article a bit of an update. Part of the reason I’m doing this now is because I’ve observed in recent months that quite a few visitors have been landing here, which I suppose is due to the fact that the pandemic is over and tourists have started visiting the country again. Obviously, I’ll maintain the same format as the original article and introduce three of the most important places of worship in Taipei, but I’m also going to include a few honorable mentions, which have also become pretty popular destinations for international tourists visiting Taiwan.  

Before I start though, I should probably mention that after I published this article, I did a follow up with a similar article listing the ‘Top Three’ temples in Bangka (艋舺), which is another list of temples that focuses entirely on one of Taipei’s most historic districts. However, you’ll notice that there is quite a bit of overlap between the two lists, which goes to show how important that part of the city has been with regard to its development. 

Link: Bangka's Top Three Temples (艋舺三大廟門) 

Massive Thousand-Arm Guanyin Statue at Taipei’s Guandu Temple.

Taiwan’s capital is a beautiful modern metropolis, and is one of Asia's leading economic hubs. The city has developed at an amazing rate over the past few decades, becoming a high-tech urban center that, to the benefit of all of its citizens, pays respect to the beautiful mountains and natural environment that surrounds it. The capital is famously home to numerous mountain vistas that, like the city’s places of worship, have also become popular tourist destinations.

Link: Taipei Cityscapes Guide

In terms of temples though, Taipei is well-known for its so-called 'Top Three Temples’ (台北三大廟門), which are cultural relics, each of which date back several centuries to the days when the city was first founded. The travel guides that introduce the country often talk about these temples, which are just as often jam-packed with the faithful as they are with tourists, who visit to learn more about Taiwan's unique cultural and religious heritage.

Obviously, the capital, like the rest of the country is home to its fair share of places of worship, so when it comes to identifying the ‘Top Three’, you’ll find there is a bit of inconsistency between foreign travel guides and the opinions of locals as to which temples actually belong on the list. While some might disagree, my list will focuses more on what locals consider to be the most important places of worship in the city, but I'm also going to include those that are also often featured on the list, and I’ll provide links to individual articles that I’ve written about each of them so that readers can find more in-depth information about them. 


Bao-An Temple (大龍峒保安宮)

The Dalongdong Bao-An Temple in Taipei’s Datong District (大同區) is the unanimous top-pick on all of the lists for Taipei's 'Top Three' temples. The temple has been recognized by the UNESCO Asia-Pacific World Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Preservation, and is regarded as a Taiwanese national treasure. The temple has a history that dates back to 1742, and is intertwined with the history of Hokkien (閩南人) immigrants from Fujian (福建), who settled in Taipei and started to develop the city several centuries ago.

Japanese-era photo of Bao-an Temple

Bao-An Temple should be high on the list of locations for a travelers itinerary while visiting Taipei, especially if your trip coincides with the annual Baosheng Cultural Festival (保生文化祭) festivities that celebrates the birth of the temple’s primary deity, the Baosheng Emperor (保生大帝). Similarly, a visit to Bao-An Temple also provides visitors with the opportunity to check out Taipei’s beautiful Confucius Temple (台北孔廟), which is conveniently located next door.

Address: #61, Hami Street, Datong District, Taipei. (臺北市大同區哈密街61號)


Longshan Temple (艋舺龍山寺)

Bangka’s Longshan Temple is probably one of Taiwan's most well-known temples and as one of the busiest places of worship in the city, Longshan Temple is constantly jam-packed with worshipers and tourists, alike.

The temple has a history that dates back to 1738, and just like Bao-An temple, also shares a close relationship with the Hokkien immigrants who came to Taiwan several centuries ago. The temple is primarily dedicated to Guanyin (觀音菩薩), the Buddha of Compassion, but like many other places of worship in Taiwan, it also has shrines set up to Taoist and local folk religion deities, making it a convenient place to visit.

When it comes to architectural design, this temple is second to none, and is arguably one of the most beautiful specimens of southern Chinese-style temple architecture in Taiwan, if not the whole world.

Japanese-era photo of Longshan Temple

Located next to the Longshan Temple MRT Station (龍山寺捷運站), this is one of the most convenient of the ‘Top Three’ temples to visit, and it’s important to note that it is located within the heart of the historic Bangka (艋舺) district of Taipei where you’ll find a number of other popular tourist destinations, including the Bopiliao Historic Block (剝皮寮歷史街區), Shintomicho Cultural Market (新富町文化市場), Huaxi Street Night Market (華西街夜市), etc. 

Address: #211 Guangzhou Street, Wanhua District, Taipei (台北市萬華區廣州街211號)

Bangka Qingshui Temple (艋舺清水巖)

While Bao-An Temple and Longshan Temple are always featured on the list of the 'Top Three' temples, Bangka’s Qingshui Temple seems to be the one that is 'questionable' as to whether or not it belongs on the list. This isn't to say that this temple isn't amazing, or that its history, which dates back to 1787 isn't as impressive. It just isn't as ‘busy’ as the other two temples, which often make the list, nor is it as popular with tourists. 

Nevertheless, Qingshui Temple, like Longshan Temple and Bao-An Temple shares an interconnected history with the Hokkien immigrants who settled in Taipei several centuries ago. The temple is dedicated to Master Qingshui (清水祖師), a popular Buddhist monk and folk-hero whose worship was imported to Taiwan by immigrants from Fujian province in China. 

As far as I’m concerned, Qingshui Temple makes the list as one of the 'Top Three' due to its age, and the important relationship it has played throughout history. That being said, I think it’s important to note that there are several ‘Qingshui Temples’ in the Greater Taipei area with the one in New Taipei City’s Sanxia District (三峽區) being incredibly influential, and one of my personal favorites. 

Link: Qingshui Zushi Temple (清水祖師宮)

Japanese-era photo of Qingshui Temple

Whether you agree or not that Bangka’s Qingshui Temple belongs on the list, no one can deny it’s history and its importance with regard to the development of the city, so even though it’s relatively quieter by comparison to the two above, it’s still one of the city’s most important places of worship.

Address: #81 Kanding Road, Wanhua District, Taipei (臺北市萬華區康定路81號)


Xia-Hai City God Temple (霞海城隍廟)

Dadaocheng’s Xia-Hai City God Temple is one of the temples that is often placed on the list of the 'Top Three' temples of Taipei, and is clearly deserving of such an honor - the temple which is now over 160 years old is an important place of worship for the people of Taipei, but unlike the other temples on the list, it has never been rebuilt. Thus, when you visit today, what you’ll see is more or less what you would have seen back in 1859 when it was originally constructed.

Even though the temple is primarily dedicated to the City God (城隍爺), it has become especially popular in recent years with tourists from Japan, who visit hoping to find luck in love thanks to the effort of Yue-Lao (月下老人), the god of match-making. Of all the places of worship in Taiwan that have enshrined this deity, the Xia-Hai City God Temple is probably the most highly regarded for his high success rate in helping people find a partner. You can be sure that during any visit to the temple, you’ll encounter singles from all over Taiwan seeking some divine assistance in their search for a significant other.  

While this temple is not as large as some of the others on the list, the history that it shares with the development of the Dadaocheng (大稻埕) area of Taipei, serving as a protector of the city has helped to shape the Taipei into the place it is today.

So whether you’re looking for love, or just a cool temple to visit, the City God Temple on the popular Dihua Street tourist area is one of the city’s most important places to visit! 

Address: #61, Dihua Street, Datong District, Taipei (台北市迪化街一段61號)


Xingtian Temple (行天宮)

Xingtian Temple is another one of the temples that often gets added to the list of the 'Top Three' temples in Taipei. Unlike the other temples, this one doesn’t have a long intertwining history with the development of the city. Constructed a little more than a half-century ago, the temple is not even remotely close in age as some of the other entries on the list, but don't let age fool you, the significance of this one cannot be understated. The temple is visited by an estimated 10,000 people each day, and even though it has a short history, it has become a quintessential place of worship, and also a major attraction for tourists. 

Due to its age, and the lack of centuries-old traditions, the temple has become somewhat of a trendsetter in recent years making waves within the spiritual world in Taiwan. In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint, Xingtian Temple became one of the first major places of worship in Taiwan to ban the practice of burning paper or incense within the temple, which in turn has resulted in many other places of worship reconsidering some of their practices in order to protect the environment.

Primarily dedicated to Lord Guan (關聖帝君), a historic figure whose exploits are told in the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" (三國演義), his legend has transcended history books, and he has become an important figure within Buddhism, Taoism, and Chinese Folk Religion traditions. Lord Guan is worshiped as an ‘all-knowing’ and ‘all-powerful' deity as a god of war, and a patron saint of business people and scholars. Worship of Lord Guan, however, may not necessarily be the main reason why Xingtian Temple has become so popular - the temple is highly regarded within the capital as one of the best places to go to have a traditional "recalling frightening souls" (收驚) ceremony performed. While visiting you are very likely to see long lines of people waiting to have this age-old, yet slowly disappearing, Taoist ritual performed, which helps purify oneself and bring calm to your soul. 

Xingtian Temple is conveniently located next to an MRT station that shares its name, so getting there is rather straightforward, paying a visit to the temple is quite easy for any of you who’d like to check it out.

Address: #109 Minchuan Road Section 2, Zhongshan District, Taipei (台北市中山區民權東路二段109號)


Qingshan Temple (艋舺青山宮)

One of the temples that I feel deserves a place on the list of the city’s most important places of worship is Bangka’s Qingshan Temple. Located a short distance away from both Longshan Temple and Qingshui Temple, it is one of the most important places of worship in the historic Bangka District of the city, and in recent years has enjoyed a revival in its popularity thanks to the revival of the Qingshan King Festival (青山靈安尊王), which has become one of the most lively temple events on the yearly calendar.

Dating back to 1854, the temple is located on what is known as 'Taipei's First Street' (台北第一街), and is near the historic wharf, which once made Bangka an economic powerhouse. Dedicated to the Qingshan King (青山王), a historical figure from China's warring states period, similar to Bao-An Temple, people often visit the temple to seek divine assistance in curing sickness and disease.

However, the Qingshan King is also highly regarded for his ability to drive out evil, so when he comes out of his temple once a year to inspect the district, the festival that follows is one of the coolest cultural events that you'll ever experience. 

Given that the temple’s annual three-day parade has become such a popular affair, a visit to Qingshan Temple should be high on any travelers list, and a visit can easily coincide with the other temples and tourist destinations within the heart of Bangka. 

Address: #218 Guiyang Street, Section 2, Wanhua District, Taipei (臺北市萬華區貴陽街二段218號)


Clearly, even though this article advertises a list of the Top Three places of worship in Taipei, I assure you that my math isn’t that terrible. The list of Taipei’s most important temples is one that I find quite arbitrary, but the ‘Top Three’ title is a term that has become well-known in both Mandarin as well as English, so I suppose it’s important to hold true to these traditions.

There are, of course a number of other places of worship within Taipei that are deserving of a visit, so if you are interested in including some of them on a trip to Taipei, I recommend checking out some of the following:

  1. Taipei Confucius Temple 台北孔廟 (Datong District)

  2. Huguo Rinzai Temple 臨濟護國禪寺 (Datong District)

  3. Songshan Ciyou Temple 松山慈佑宮 (Songshan District)

  4. Taipei Tian Hou Temple 台北天后宮 (Ximen)

  5. Guandu Temple 關渡宮 (Beitou District)

  6. Puji Temple 普濟寺 (Beitou District)

  7. Zhinan Temple 指南宮 (Wenshan District)

  8. Bishan Temple 碧山巖 (Neihu District)

  9. Jiantan Historic Temple 劍潭古寺 (Zhongshan District)

  10. Hongludi Temple 烘爐地南山福德宮 (Zhonghe District)

Linkou Guanyin Temple (林口竹林山觀音寺)

Or you can just check out the list of some of the other places of worship that I’ve written about in the link below:

Link: Temples 

Travel guides will insist that anyone who travels to Taiwan must visit at least one temple, and some of those on the list above are the most popular places to visit. While there are of course very important religious aspects to these buildings, it’s also important to note they’re are also perfect places to visit if you are eager to learn about the complexities of Taiwanese culture, language, history and identity. Even if you don’t understand much of what’s going on within them, visiting a temple here is a pretty cool experience.


Qingshui Temple (艋舺清水巖)

The oldest district in the modern metropolis of Taipei goes by many names - To some it is “Bangka” (Báng-kah khu) or “Monga” (艋舺) and to others it is “Wanhua” (萬華區). Whatever you prefer to call the district, it is one of the most important districts in the city and is steeped in history, culture and religion.

Once one of the most prosperous areas in the city due to its proximity to the Xindian River (新店溪), the district served as a centre of commerce for over three hundred years. The area was originally settled by the Pinpu Kaitakela tribe, then Hokkien (閩南人) immigrants from Fujian Province and most recently by Chinese refugees of the civil war.

Bangka is known internationally for its historic sites which include Longshan Temple and the recently refurbished Bopiliao Historic Street (剝皮寮老街). Recent renovations have made the Huaxi Night Market (華西街夜市) a popular place again despite its reputation for once being one of the strangest and seediest places to visit in the city.

Despite a period of economic decline over the last few decades, Bangka is a place on the rise and big things are happening to make the district a much more attractive place for the young people of Taipei to live and work. The election of black-metal-rocker-turned-politician Freddy Lim (林昶佐) as the districts representative sent a clear message that the people of Bangka want change and that the future of the district will rely heavily on the ideas of young people.   

Bangka is most well-known today for the history that it displays on all the streets and alleyways of the district. Some of the best places to experience the history of the area however is in its well-preserved temples. The district is known in Taiwan for its 'Big Three Temples' (艋舺三大廟門), each of which have become popular tourist attractions and have been extremely busy places of worship for hundreds of years as well as being designated as cultural and historic relics by the local and central governments. 

Note: The temples are actually not all that 'big' but they are considered 'big' in Mandarin due to their historical importance, so I think 'great' might actually be a better translation here.  

I've blogged in the past about a few of Bangka's other famous temples which include Longshan Temple (艋舺龍山寺) and Qingshan Temple (艋舺青山宮) but today I will be focusing on another one of the area's most famous residents, the Bangka Qingshui Zushi Temple.

The Bangka Qingshui Temple (艋舺清水巖祖師廟), which was built in 1787 is not only considered one of the 'big three temples' of Bangka, but is also included in the list of the 'Big Three Temples' of Taipei (台北三大廟門) meaning that it is one of the most important temples in the entire city. Because of its age and its importance with relation to early immigrant culture, the temple is protected as one of Taipei's cultural relics (直轄市定古蹟) and has achieved the status as a level three historic site. 

The Bangka Qingshui temple is one of three temples in the greater Taipei region that is dedicated to Master Qingshui (清水祖師) with the other two in New Taipei City's Sanxia (三峽) and Tamsui (淡水) district.

 Link: Sanxia Qingshui Zushi Temple

Qingshui worship is a cultural tradition that was brought to Taiwan from China's Fujian Province and more specifically from Anxi County (安溪縣) in Quanzhou (泉州) where a lot of Taiwan's earliest Hokkien immigrants hailed from. The Hokkien people were some of the earliest immigrants to come to Taiwan with different groups setting up homes and businesses throughout the island. 

Several groups of immigrants settled in the area of Taipei which is now known as Wanhua (萬華) and it quickly became a major port of trade fuelling the development of the city and bringing riches to the immigrants who came to Taiwan for a new start. 

Unfortunately, control of the port in Bangka became a contentious issue among the Hokkien residents of the area and in 1853 a violent feud known as the "Ding-Xia feud" (頂下郊拼) erupted between four different groups of immigrants who wanted to control the economy of what was at the time the most prosperous town in northern Taiwan.

Coincidentally, the original Qingshui temple sat in the way of shipping routes and was burnt down as a means to irritate the people from Anxi. The destruction of the temple served as a motivator for the people from Anxi who rose up and swiftly ended the feud. 

In the end, the group of immigrants from Tong-An county (同安縣) lost the feud and were forced to relocate out of Bangka.

In retrospect though, losing the feud was ultimately in their best interest as the port area in Bangka eventually became unusable (silt issues) while their new home in Dadaocheng (大稻埕) had an excellent port.  

Dadaocheng shortly thereafter took control of shipping in the Taipei basin and became the most economically successful area of the city.

When the hostilities finally ended the community in Bangka got together and collected funds to rebuild the temple to its original state. Reconstruction started in 1867 and took eight years to complete with the reopening taking place in 1875.

It wouldn't be the last time that the temple would have to be renovated, but the main structure that you see today is what was completed over a century and a half ago. Despite the fact that it had to be rebuilt a few decades after its original completion, the temple is said to be the best remaining example of Qing-era temple architecture in Taipei.

Design

The temple design is quite basic and consists of a front hall, a main hall and two corridors on the side. The left corridor leads to a small Buddhist shrine and the rear of the temple while the right corridor leads to some offices used by the temple staff as well as public bathrooms.

The front hall is an open area where there is a small reception desk on each side with an open sky courtyard and an incense urn while the main hall is where people will visit to pray to Master Qingshui. I'm entirely unsure as to whether the main hall is actually "open" to the public or not. There is a gate that prevents people from entering the back part of the main hall area yet I have seen people coming and going on each of my visits. More on that later.

There are two separate shrines set up for Master Qingshui - The first is one that is in front of the gate and consists of three statues of Master Qingshui. Far behind those three statues is a much larger statue of Master Qingshui that you can view from the distance. There are also separate shrines to the sides dedicated to the Goddess Mazu (媽祖), Lord Guan (關帝君), the God of Literature (文昌君) the Earth God (福德正神) and others to the sides.

The temple is said to have seven statues of Master Qingshui, all of which were brought from China as well as being famous for the treasure trove of stone wall carvings found throughout the temple. While a lot of the original structure was destroyed by fire, the stone murals remain the same and seeing the beautiful craftsmanship of immigrant artisans from well over two centuries ago is a really cool experience.

The murals date back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries and have inscriptions referring to the Qing dynasty and Emperor Qianlong (乾隆帝) who was the ruler at that time.

Apart from the stone murals on the walls, its also important to take notice of the two dragon pillars at the entrance of the temple which were carved at the same time as the murals. Today they have a protective covering in front of them in order to preserve them, but they are excellent examples of the ability of the artisans of the time.

During the Japanese colonial era the temple was used as a school and played an important role bringing modern education to the people of Taiwan. The school eventually outgrew the temple and in 1925 became what is today known as the Cheng-Gong High School (臺北市立成功高级中學). Today the temple celebrates the fact that it was once a school and is a leader in promoting education in Taiwan. 

Qingshui Worship (清水祖師)

Master Qingshui (清水祖師) was a Buddhist monk who lived over 1500 years ago. Official records record that he was born in the year 1047 and died in 1101 at the age of 54. He was born with the name Chen Zhaoying (陳昭應) in Anxi County (安溪縣), Quanzhou (泉州) during the Northern Song Period (宋朝).

In life the monk was credited with being so highly skilled in Chan Buddhist (禪) doctrine that he eventually gained supernatural skills and was able to use those skills to end a terrible drought that plagued the people of Anxi by simply walking from village to village bringing with him rain.

Thanks to these 'supernatural' skills and the fact that he was credited with saving the people from certain starvation, temples were built in his honour which elevated his status as a simple Buddhist monk to that of a folk-hero, a patron saint for the people of Anxi county and a deified person within Chinese Folk Religion.

Some may find it strange that while Qingshui was an accomplished Buddhist master that today he is more widely revered as a Chinese folk religion deity - This intermixing however is not uncommon with Chinese history and religion. If someone was thought to have performed any sort of miracle, they could later become deified for that action.

While there are many figures throughout Chinese history who have become deified like this and are universally recognized, Master Qingshui is a regional figure and is most important to the Hokkien people who originally came from the coastal Fujian province of China.

Today, worship of Master Qingshui is most common here in Taiwan thanks to the immigrants who brought with them their culture and traditions and were able to cultivate them and practice them over the past few centuries without fear of reprisal.  

Master Qingshui was a simple Buddhist monk in life, but in death became a folk-hero and defied within local folk-religion. The hero status achieved by Qingshui and the legends of his exploits allowed for him to become a protector deity for the people from his home of Anxi County. As a protector deity his temple helped to bring together the Hokkien immigrants who came to Taiwan and gave them a sense of community. 

When you see images of Master Qingshui you may wonder why he appears with a 'black face' and even sometimes missing a nose. Over the centuries Qingshui has earned the nicknames "black faced ancestor" (烏面祖師公) as well as the hard to translate "dropping nose ancestor" (落鼻祖師公) which are the result of a few interesting myths surrounding his exploits. 

Black Faced Ancestor (烏面祖師公)

Master Qingshui earned his nickname as the "Black Faced Ancestor" thanks to the legends which were told of his life after he had passed away. The "black face" comes from a story that people told of an experience Master Qingshui had while meditating alone on a mountain. While meditating the mountain came under attack from ten demons who thought it would be fun to burn him alive while he sat there.

For seven days and seven nights the master sat there calmly while engulfed in flames, yet due to his strong faith and meditation skills, only his face was burnt and the rest of his body was unharmed. Four of the demons were so impressed with his skills that they decided to become followers of the master and serve as guardians at temples in his honour.

As far as legends go, this one isn't really that far fetched and is similar to a lot of myths of the 'trials and tribulations' of other prophets or religious leaders or prophets.

The lasting effects of his legend however is that whenever you see an image of Master Qingshui today, his face is black.

Dropping Nose Ancestor (落鼻祖師公)

Legend has it that whenever a natural disaster is about to occur, a statue of Master Qingshui will suddenly lose its nose in an attempt to warn people of the impeding calamity. It has thus become quite common to see statues in Qingshui temples around Taiwan with nose-less faces. For foreigners it probably seems really random that a god would suddenly lose his nose in an attempt to warn people of disaster but that is probably what makes legends so interesting.

Besides, I seem to remember my parents telling me when I was young that if I lied, my nose would grow longer.

Its important to remember that in life Master Qingshui was renowned for his efforts to save people from drought and disaster, so it probably shouldn't be a surprise that even now he is still trying to save people.

This temple is old, full of history and is considered one of the most important places of worship in the city, but no matter how many great things I tell you about it, I'm not going to lie and tell you that this is a great place to visit, nor is it a popular 'tourist attraction' like Longshan, Bao-An or the City God temple are. The people who work/volunteer in the temple are not very friendly and from my visits over the years I've found are actually not very welcoming to tourists.

For example, on one of my trips to the temple I had set out to get a shot of a stone carving on one of the walls which happened to be a cultural relic from the Qing dynasty. The problem was that it was behind a barrier and a chair was blocking it.

I asked the lady working at the temple if I could go past the barrier (its not actually a barrier, its just a small gate that temple worshippers commonly walk through). She promptly replied "no", so I asked if she could at least move the chair so I could get a shot of the relic.

She replied "I'm busy" and went back to watching television. The next time I visited I tried again as there was a different person by the gate. I asked him if I could get in to get a shot and he promptly replied "No foreigners“ and went back to smoking his cigarette.

I'm not really sour that I wasn't allowed past the gate, but I hear the "No Foreigners" thing, it rubs me the wrong way and makes me feel unwelcome. I speak fluent Mandarin, I'm not sure how a tourist would feel under the same circumstances. Besides, people are free to come and go as they please through the gate and I was polite enough to ask permission but was still rudely refused.

I suppose you might think this is some sort of white privilege thing, but when it comes to temples, I know what I'm doing and have never had this type of experience before. 

This temple is a historical relic and deserves appreciation, but as of now its not the kind of place that I'd recommend tourists to visit. There are so many other beautiful temples in the city to visit where tourists are welcome and encouraged to visit.

You can learn so much about Taiwan and its culture by visiting temples, so its up to you whether or not you want to visit this one. If you do visit, be polite and enjoy it. I hope your experience will be different than the ones I had while visiting and I hope that at some point the temple staff realizes that the way they treat tourists probably reflects on the fact that the temple is not as busy as it should be.