Something different to do in Taipei - Visit temples

Something different to do in Taipei - Check out the temples. Apart from praying for divine intervention, temples in Taipei are typically in established areas, and surrounded by food places.

When we are in Taipei, we typically visit two temples - Songshan Feng Tian Temple (松山奉天宮) and Xingtian Temple (行天宮).

Feng Tian Temple sits at the foot of the Tiger Mountain. Feng Tian Temple is an one stop shop where all your needs can be taken care of by the power above. Beyond the main hall, there is also the medicine god. If you are single, it is apparently in the top 3 of the relationship (月老) god in all of Taipei (台北3間超靈驗月老廟).

What I found impressive about Feng Tian Temple is how modern is its commercial operation. In the main hall, there are different styles of bracelets freely available. They only ask you to put in a donation in the box for what you think it is worth to you. Think about the subtlety of this design :) It is hard to be cheap in front of the divine power you just pray to. In addition, it has a modern operation when it comes to making annual donation/offering. It is almost like Temple-As-A-Service. You fill in a form with the different people you are praying for. Then they punch in the names in the system and a lighted lantern will have the names somewhere in the temple for a year.

Xingtian Temple is more popular in Taipei. On certain days, it really can get super busy. It is a temple for Guan Yu (關恩主羽). He is the money god. Enough said. Rule of thumb is enter the temple on the right side. Also remember always lift your feet completely over the raised wooden or stone beam at the bottom of the doorway rather than stepping on it. There are also instructions inside on sequence of worship of different gods. In addition, worthwhile to join the queues for special blessing.

It is also worthwhile to wander around the surrounding area. There is an "fortune telling" underground street nearby. If memory serves, there is also a small underground street/mall with antiques.

These temples are free to enter.

Transport to Feng Tian Temple is a bit tricky. It is not particularly close to MRT. So probably best to catch a taxi or bus if you can figure out the local bus system. Xingtian Temple is 10 mins walk from a MRT station.

It is almost a ritual for us when we visit Taipei. Kind of calming in knowing that we have prayed for the power that be to look after all the people we care about.