10 Most Beautiful Temples in Taipei
Discover Taipei's Most Important Temples and Shrines
The most beautiful temples in Taipei can be found across a diverse array of neighborhoods, including historic Datong and mountainous Wenshan, land of terraced fields and traditional teahouses. Rich in Taoist culture, the city is also home to Buddhist and Confucian devotees who take great pride in their sacred shrines, which teem with age-old treasures and religious relics like idols, murals, and pottery.
Visit UNESCO-listed sites for colorful dragon adornments, cultural festivals, rows of atmospheric oil lanterns, and daily chanting ceremonies. Some temples even host fortune tellers who can supposedly predict your future with their numerology, Chinese astrology, and ancient palmistry readings.
1. Dalongdong Bao’an Temple
UNESCO favorite that honors Baosheng Dadi, the god of medicine
Ideale per: Foto, Famiglie, Coppie
Situated at the confluence of the Tamsui and Keelung rivers, Dalongdong Bao’an is an awe-inspiring religious structure that dates to 1804. In 2003, this Chinese folk site received a UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for its tireless efforts in architectural conservation. It adheres to Feng Shui and Confucian principles in terms of its philosophy.
Admire colorful dragons that watch protectively from the roof, painted murals depicting mythological legends, and illuminated paper lanterns that sway from elaborate hand-carved ceilings. Visit in April or June when the temple hosts an annual cultural festival that draws revelers from across the country, featuring gong ceremonies, fireworks displays, and Jiaxingxi performances.
Posizione: No. 61, Hami St, Datong District, Taipei City 103, Taiwan
Orario di apertura: Daily from 6 am to 9 pm
Telefono: +886 (0)2 2595 1676
Dalongdong Bao'an Temple
2. Taipei Tianhou Temple
Hidden from view on a neon-lit street
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Celebrating the sea goddess Mazu, Tianhou Temple is tucked away in Taipei’s bustling Ximending Shopping District, on a street adorned with neon signs and colorful paper lanterns. Erected in 1746 with money gifted by Chinese merchants, it can be found down a secretive alleyway that’s guarded by imperial lions.
Inside, discover ornate golden shrines honoring Mazu and her guardian generals, daily offerings of fruit and flowers, and oversized urns spiked with aromatic incense sticks. Tianhou is also a worship place for the Japanese Buddhist monk, Hongfa Dashi. Check out the pond filled with koi fish for luck and prosperity.
Posizione: No. 51號, Chengdu Rd, Wanhua District, Taipei City 10844, Taiwan
Orario di apertura: Daily from 6 am to 9.45 pm
Telefono: +886 (0)2 2331 0421
Taipei Tianhou Temple
3. Xingtian Temple
Sprawling red-door beauty that dates to the 1960s
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Xingtian Temple is dedicated to Guan Yu, the patron deity of businessmen, military personnel, and police. It’s located in Taipei’s Zhongshan District, a hipster hangout that’s made a name for itself with its trendy bars, ramen restaurants, and eclectic second-hand shops. This heavily photographed landmark is instantly recognizable thanks to its cherry-red doors, pillars adorned with carved stone dragons, and Taoist devotees who dress in a brilliant shade of chrysanthemum blue.
Visit Xingtian’s altars to pray or watch as the disciples recite sutras, chant verses, and perform age-old Taoist rituals. Afterwards, head to the underground Fortune Telling Street to chat with Bazi numerologists before having your future told by local palmists who’ll read the lines on your hands.
Posizione: No. 109, Section 2, Minquan E Rd, Zhongshan District, Taipei City 10491, Taiwan
Orario di apertura: Daily from 4 am to 10 pm
Telefono: +886 (0)2 2502 7924
Xingtian Temple
4. Confucius Temple
An homage to the paragon of Chinese sages
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You’ll find Confucius Temple in Taipei’s historic Datong, a district that spans the Qing Dynasty to the Japanese Colonial period. Built in 1879, this architectural jewel is renowned for its southern Fujian-style ceramic ornaments and annual dance and music ceremonies, which are held every September in honor of Confucius.
A place of respite from Taipei’s hustle and bustle, this revered site is much less ornate than other city temples but boasts an intense spiritual atmosphere that draws practitioners of meditation. You can learn about the art of calligraphy here before receiving a free handwritten blessing. To deepen your experience, reserve a guided tour.
Posizione: No. 275, Dalong St, Datong District, Taipei City 103, Taiwan
Orario di apertura: Tuesday–Sunday from 8.30 am to 9 pm (closed on Mondays)
Telefono: +886 (0)2 259 23934
Confucius Temple
5. Songshan Ciyou Temple
Flamboyant color-soaked folk temple
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Only a short walk from the Keelung River, Songshan Ciyou dates to the 18th century when it was built in honor of the black-faced sea goddess, Mazu, the “heavenly mother.” Today, this visually arresting temple draws visitors with its richly ornamented roof, complete with cochin pottery dragons and the legendary Three Immortals who represent fame, longevity, and wealth.
Inside, explore several floors showcasing 19th-century stone lions, clusters of oil lamps, and heavily decorated altars featuring statues of the Goddess of Birth Zhusheng Niang-niang, the Ksitigarbha Buddha, and the Jade Emperor, to name a few. Try to catch a Taoist chanting ceremony featuring flutes and cymbals and burn gold paper and incense as an offering to the ancestors.
Posizione: No. 761號, Section 4, Bade Rd, Songshan District, Taipei City 105, Taiwan
Orario di apertura: Daily from 5.30 am to 10.30 pm
Telefono: +886 (0)2 2766 3012
Songshan Ciyou Temple
6. Xia-Hai City God Temple
Taiwan’s biggest collection of statues
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A compact temple dedicated to Cheng Huang Ye, “the City God,” Xia-Hai was constructed in 1859 by the very same family who look after it today. In 1985, it was designated as a Historic Monument by Taiwan’s Ministry of Interior and is famed for housing over 600 Taoist deities, including the Chinese cupid, Yue Lao, who can help you find your long-lost soul mate.
Take in impeccably carved figures of the City God, as well as dragon and tiger wall friezes, Koji ceramic decorations, and ink brush murals by artist Chen Shou-yi. Don’t miss the annual City God Birthday Festival on the 13th day of the 5th lunar month, which includes street parades, opera performances, and lavish public feasts.
Posizione: No. 61號, Section 1, Dihua St, Datong District, Taipei City 103, Taiwan
Orario di apertura: Daily from 7 am to 7 pm
Telefono: +886 (0)2 2558 0346
Xia-Hai City God Temple
7. Guandu Temple
Taoist beauty in the Beitou District
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Guandu Temple boasts extravagant architecture and show-stopping interiors like Sanchuan Hall, the Golden Pavilion, and the God of Prosperity Pit. This venerated site is peppered with highly prized pieces that span the Qing dynasty to the Japanese Colonial era, including stone tigers, flower and bird columns, and intricately carved panels called the Wall of Mazu’s Miracles.
Next door to Guandu, you’ll find a small worship cave dedicated to the goddess of mercy, Guanyin of Thousand Arms and Eyes, which is lined with 28 devas that inhabit the Buddhist cosmos. Walk around the grounds and you’ll find a collection of market stalls selling products such as spirit money, a type of joss paper which is set alight during traditional ancestor worship.
Posizione: No. 360, Zhixing Rd, Beitou District, Taipei City 112, Taiwan
Orario di apertura: Daily from 7 am to 9 pm
Telefono: +886 (0)2 2858 1281
Guandu Temple
8. Qingshui Temple
Sacred Ching Shu Buddhist site
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Also known as the Divine Progenitors Temple, Qingshui Temple pays tribute to Master Qingshui. He was a Buddhist monk of the Northern Song dynasty who is believed to have performed a number of miracles. Constructed in 1787, the building catches the eye with its detailed stone dragon pillars and painted gold flourishes, as well as an array of scaly fire breathers that sit atop the roof.
Stop at a duo of shrines that honor Master Qingshui before taking in centuries-old carvings and chiseled stone reliefs that depict phoenixes, tigers, and long-necked herons. Belonging to the “Three Major Temples in Taipei,” this important attraction also houses altars of other Buddhist deities, including Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha and Emperor Guansheng.
Posizione: No. 81, Kangding Rd, Wanhua District, Taipei City 108, Taiwan
Orario di apertura: Daily from 6 am to 6 pm
Telefono: +886 (0)2 2371 1517
Qingshui Temple
9. Zhinan Temple
Heavenly polytheistic relic on the slopes of Houshan
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A sprawling Taoist complex on the side of Monkey Mountain, 19th-century Zhinan Temple honors the Daoist immortal Lu Tung-pin. He was, a famed Tang dynasty scholar and poet who is said to have lived to 220 years old. Surrounded by palm trees, this semi-rural sanctuary can be reached by ascending hundreds of steps. Alternatively, ride the scenic gondola to Zhinan Temple Station.
Boasting some of the most breathtaking panoramas in all of Taipei, visitors will enjoy picture-postcard views of the skyline and mountains from the temple’s many outdoor terraces. Across the grounds, you’ll find 11 shrines, 3 large temples, and a central black-skinned Buddha statue. Don’t forget to pause at Qixing Pond for a moment of quiet reflection.
Posizione: No. 115號, Wanshou Rd, Wenshan District, Taipei City 116, Taiwan
Orario di apertura: Daily from 6 am to 8 pm
Telefono: +886 (0)2 2939 9922
Zhinan Temple
10. Lungshan Temple
A hub of Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucianist principles
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Built in 1738, Lungshan Temple pays homage to the Guanshiyin Buddha and other divine beings on a site that’s bordered with walls made from hundreds of yellow lanterns. Long considered one of Taipei’s most important places of worship, tourists come here for the chanting sessions and the mosaic statues of dragons.
Spend time admiring the orchid offerings on the outside tables or marveling at the golden Guanyin bodhisattva who sits cross-legged on a lotus in the hall. Walk along the streets outside the temple and discover fortune tellers and vendors hawking herbal medicines and plant-based teas, as well as a number of lively markets that spring to life after sunset.
Posizione: No. 211, Guangzhou St, Wanhua District, Taipei City 10853, Taiwan
Orario di apertura: Daily from 6 am to 10 pm
Telefono: +886 (0)2 2302 5162
Lungshan Temple
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