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Things to do in Taiwan, Taiwan: The Best Sacred & Religious Sites
Taiwan (/ˌtaɪˈwɑːn/ ( listen)), officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a state in East Asia. Its neighbors include the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the west, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south. It is the most populous state and largest economy that is not a member of the United Nations.
Restaurants in Taiwan
1. Shimen Jinganggong
2. Dafubutiangong
3. Fo Guang Shan
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 651 reviews
At the north-east point of Dashu Township in Kaohsiung county, South Taiwan, Fo Guang Shan Monastery (literally translated as Buddha’s Light Mountain Monastery) sits on a bamboo hill on the left bank of the Gaoping river. Here you will find the headquarters of a prominent Buddhist order, established by Master Hsing Yun and his disciples. The architecture of the buildings within the monastery complex is characteristic of the traditional Buddhist monastery, but one may be pleasantly surprised with the array of visitor-friendly amenities on offer. The southeastern face of Fo Guang Shan Monastery features the prominent Great Buddha Land, which is home to a standing Buddha image of 48 metres in height, and 480 smaller Buddha images that surround it. English-speaking visitors may find information and maps in English at the Reception, and prior contact via email can be made to discuss free tour options.
Reviewed By OrderintheHouse
In January 2020 my wife and I included a 6 night Wendy Wu private tour of Taiwan as part of our 18 day Asian trip we arranged to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. Our travels took us to Taipei, Taroko Gorge, Sun Moon Lake, Tainan and Kaohsiung. A real highlight during our all too short time in Kaohsiung (just an overnight visit) was our experience at the Fo Guang Shan Monastery, the biggest Buddhist Monastery in Taiwan, located approximately 30 minutes from the city. We began with a delicious buffet vegetarian lunch in the Baiweixuan Buffet Restaurant which we reached from the main entrance by an electric shuttle bus. After lunch we undertook a very pleasant walk to the very impressive Buddha Museum. Before touring the Museum we were able to admire the centrepiece of the Monastery, a 50 metre high outdoor statue of Buddha that is 108 metres tall when you take into account its base. This makes this the largest bronze sitting Buddha statue in the world. The statue, made of 1,872 tons of bronze, is very imposing and dominates the surroundings. In front of the statue is the Way to Buddhahood path, made of stone and flanked by Eight Pagodas on either side. The symmetry on display here is impressive and the overall effect is simply awesome. The Buddha Museum has to surely be one of the very best museums of its kind anywhere in the world. The extensive array of historical and cultural treasures on display provides a good insight into the Buddhist religion. One of the really interesting exhibitions we visited here was in the Museum of Buddhist Underground Palaces. The galleries exhibit artefacts from various Underground Palaces but predominantly from the one discovered beneath Famen Temple (located in Famen town 120 kilometres west of Xi'an, China). What we found pleasing about this museum was that as Christians we were being educated about Buddhism without feeling in any way threatened or uncomfortable. The museum succeeds in its aim for non Buddhist visitors to have a better insight and understanding of the Buddhist religion through a visit here. The museum has a wonderful philosophy inherent in its core values set out proudly on a display board at the entrance. Three core values revolve around acts of goodness – “Do Good Deeds, Speak Good Words and Think Good Thoughts”. Then there are four core values promoting giving – “Giving Others Confidence, Giving Others Joy, Giving Others Hope and Giving Others Convenience”. These are very laudable core values indeed. One pleasing display we enjoyed was the depiction of the Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the Monastery’s founding Monk, sitting at his long table where he takes his meals, writes his calligraphy, has his meetings and greets people. The table has no drawers or locks. It epitomises his refreshingly simple and humble philosophy on life and his non dependence on material things. There is also a very good display promoting the “Cloud and Water Medical Team Spreading Compassion Throughout The World”. A superb exhibit has to be the large carved out piece of tree trunk with well over a hundred carved out Buddha figures - so intricate and a true piece of wonderful art. These are just three of many fine displays we encountered on this excellent tour of the museum. We were so pleased to have had the privilege of visiting this wonderful Monastery and gaining understanding of its values, hopes and aspirations and to admire the cultural treasures and artefacts on display. It represented a very good reason for us to have included Kaohsiung as part of our Taiwan tour.
4. Lion's Head Mountain
5. Guandu Temple (Kuantu Temple)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 269 reviews
honoring the Goddess Matzu
Reviewed By chloeo182 - London, United Kingdom
I saw this temple mentioned in an article about ‘off the beaten track ‘ Taipei. I am SO glad I went . It isn’t close the centre but it is totally worth it. Make sure you explore every nook and cranny as it is the temple complex that just keeps on giving . Go to the top floor and look down on over the rooftops , don’t miss the little fountain on the right of the temple and its terrapins and koi carp. And climb the hill behind the temple it is fabulous, take some food or a drink and enjoy the view from the little benches and tables that are dotted around . There are butterflies and pagodas and a wonderful view . There are so many different types of stone carved artworks on the walls . They are detailed and so fascinating . You can buy some incense inside the temple itself and light it or you can buy it at the little store at the bottom where the cars park. There is no shop/ tea house once you leave the car park so carry water on a hot day. I spent about three hours there just soaking it all up. Enjoy it , it is the sort of place I would always like to go back to
6. Dalongdong Bao An Temple
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 407 reviews
dedicated to Paosheng Tati, the God of Medicine
Reviewed By PaulSiow - Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
We visited this temple after visiting the Confucious temple nearby. The temple looks old with intricate carvings and ornaments on the roof. Many people prayed here and it was fairly smoky due to the many burning joss sticks.
7. Wen Wu Temple
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 488 reviews
Reviewed By ntngayve - Brossard, Canada
A temple you cannot miss while visiting Sun Moon Lake. Very impressive with 4 levels each one contains many beautiful carving telling the story and military prowess of Wenwu. From the top level you can admire beautiful views of the Sun Moon Lake afar.
8. Chih Nan Temple (Zhinan Temple)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 194 reviews
Reviewed By Z1320HH_
Chih Nan Temple is the most famous temple in Taipei, WenShen. In morning, you can visit the gorgeous decorate in this temple. In night, the splendid night view of Taipei will make you impressive.
9. Hongludi
10. Songshan Ciyou Temple
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 245 reviews
Reviewed By fali84 - India, null
This is a beautiful and underrated temple! Right next to one of the gates of the Raohe Night Market, it looks beautifully lit at night and it equally enjoyable during the day time. The temple has stairs to access the multiple stories. I heavily recommend going up those, the view gets better and better and you get to see the artistry at each floor. Intricately carved, in a mtitude of colours and heavy detailing - thia temple is a delight. No entry fee, you can buy some offerings, use the praying wooden blocks for free (Ofcourse!).
