Taipei Confucius Temple and Dalongdong Bao-an Temple

Two of the temples I was looking forward to visit at Taipei are Confucius Temple and Dalongdong Bao-an Temple, both located at Dalong Street, Datong District.

Both temples are seldom visited by tourists in comparison to Longshan Temple of Wanhua District, but can be the most rewarding if you want to admire the Chinese architecture on all peace and quiet.

One of the many Confucius temples across Taiwan and China, the Taipei Confucius Temple not only honors one of the greatest philosophers of all time but showcases one of the Master’s teaching- simplicity.

Gone are the elaborate wall designs and the blinding mixture of gold and red colors.

Designed by the famous architect Wang Yi-Chuan (creator of Taipei Longshan Temple too), spanning a total of 17,100 sq. meters, exploring the Confucius Temple offers a calmness that is enjoyable and sometimes seldom experience on a busy city like Taipei.

From every corners of each room to the statues of Confucius teachings, no wonder why the residence of the nearby area decided to spend their afternoons inside the temple ground.

Located at the backside of Confucius Temple is another equally celebrated and treasured temple- Dalongdong Bao-an Temple.

Established in 1742 and awarded as UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award in 2003, Bao-an Temple is usually visited by people praying for good health or recovery from illness.The temple deity is Baosheng Dadi, said to be a known 9th century doctor and revered for his healing powers.

Requiring a quarter century to complete, with every materials used mostly imported from Mainland China, Bao-an Temple architectural style not only showcase the usual grandeur expected from Chinese temples but the architectural style of early settlers.

To reach both temples, take the MRT Red Line (Damsui/Tamsui Line) to Yuanshan Station. I highly recommend to skip the other night markets and pay a visit to this two magnificent temples.