Gorgeous Taiwan Taoism religion temple !

Located in a beautiful mountain setting with breathtaking views over the Taipei basin, the Zhinangong (指南宮) Temple Complex is a small island of solitude that overlooks a busy and noisy city.

On a day with good visibility, it's possible to see as far as Danshui (淡水) and Taoyuan (桃園). It's an excellent place from which to view the sunset, especially in summer time, when the air is clearer, and the view of the setting sun is unobstructed by hills surrounding the complex.

The temple complex itself is quite impressive, with classical Daoist architecture, mixed with several modern Taiwanese touches. There are three main buildings, connected together with pedestrian walkways.

However, the infrastructure is clearly showing its age. The walls and pathways around the temple buildings are dilapidated and have fallen into disrepair, with crumbling dirty paintwork and cracked pavements that clearly have not been maintained for years. Some of the outdoor pathways connecting different areas of the complex are covered by corrugated iron roof structures and strip lighting. There's also plenty of rusty metal and exposed electrical cabling: hardly fitting for a temple that's described as having a "stairway of a thousand steps".

Additionally, there's another source of irritation. At busy times, some temple visitors are in the habit of riding scooters and motorcycles up the pedestrian walkways of the temple, sometimes at particularly high speed. So if you're looking for peace and quiet and you're on foot, it's good to be mentally prepared for the occasional scooter to race by.

Overall, I will highly recommend a visit, especially if you're in the area. The architecture is perhaps not as inspiring as some other temples in Taiwan, but the view over Taipei certainly makes up for it.

Tip: Best to experience riding the Maokong Gondola and alight at Zhinan Temple Station to access this temple
located at the foot of Zhishan mountain in Wenshan District, Taipei.

#taipeiattractions

Post by Karenkakao | May 15, 2025