Dec. 8: Longshan Temple

Our adventure today entailed visiting Longshan Temple. The temple was originally built as a Buddhist temples but since its beginning has incorporated many Taoist elements as well. In the main hall is a statue of Guanyin the Buddhist goddess of mercy while the rear hall is for the worship of Mazu, the Taoist goddess of the sea. Throughout the temple are altars devoted to deities from various religions. 

Main Hall of Longshan Temple devoted to the Buddhist goddess Guanyin.

Longshan Temple is one of the oldest temples in Taiwan. It was first built in 1738 but has been rebuilt many times after various natural disasters damaged the temple. in 1945 a wayward Allied bomb destroyed the main hall but spared the statue of Guanyin. 

Rear Hall of the Longshan Temple dedicated to Mazu the Taoist goddess of the sea.

Everything in the temple is carved by hand and the artistry is absolutely amazing. The work is extremely detailed. Gold foil is embossed all over the artwork as well. The temple is absolutely beautiful and I was amazed at the amount of work it would take to decorate the entire temple. Every square inch is decorated with some kind of carving or painting, including an immense amount of decorative statues on the roof. Even the railings were carved by hand out of stone. 

We also had a great dinner but I forgot to take my camera to take pictures. For dinner we ate these pork dumplings that are filled with also a pork broth or soup within the dumpling. They are delicious. Hopefully, we will be able to go back before we leave so I can get some pictures.