Dragon Mountain Temple

The Lungshan Temple is one of the most well known temples in the world. Located in Lukan, Taiwan, it is dedicated mainly to the divine spirits like the Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin. Its astonishing architecture will overwhelm you and the intricacies of its design will enchant you, as you travel through a portion of China’s ancient culture through entering this enigmatic portal of religious figures. Its architecture highly resembles that of the Sung Dynasty and it was constructed by the Buddhist master Chao-shan in 1963. It is the oldest Buddhist temple located in Taiwan. The Lungshan temple is also known as Taiwan’s forbidden city.

Translated in English, the Lunghshan literally means, “dragon mountain. “ It is also known as the meeting place of the gods because of the hundreds of deities being worshipped in this religious place. Everything from the pillars to the doors were given as a dedication to the goddess of Mercy-but aside from her, deities such as the sea goddess Matsu and the war god Kuan Kung are also worshipped there as well as some of their other gods.

The temple is usually visited by dedicated worshippers and curious tourists from all over the world. This worship place also holds witness to many festivals as it hosts various celebrations within the venue. They usually light up incenses in there as offerings to their gods. Paper money is usually burned to serve as bribery, to lighten the load of the souls in the other world.

The temple underwent a series of destructive devastations throughout the years. It had gone down in an 1815 earthquake and was destroyed in an 1860’s typhoon. It was also bombed in World War II. After it served as a home for squatters and government offices, it was proclaimed as a historical site.

Dragon Mountain Temple