One-Day Taipei Trip # Listen to Temple Stories at the Bao’an Culture Festival

By / MOOK Travel Life Network Editorial Team
 

The 2015 “Bao’an Culture Festival,” hosted by the Dalongdong Bao’an Temple, will begin on April 23. The Taipei City Government’s Department of Information and Tourism has specifically designed the “Listen to Temple Stories” itinerary, encouraging visitors to go...to places such as the Dalongdong Bao’an Temple, Dadaocheng Cisheng Temple, the street snacks in front of Cisheng Temple, and Ren’ai Hospitalto explore and experience, rediscover these temples, and listen to the moving stories behind their cultural activities.

Located in Dalongdong, the Bao’an Temple is serene and steeped in incense, exuding a rustic charm. Along with Mengjia Longshan Temple and Qingshuiyan Mazu Temple, it is known as one of Taipei’s Three Great Temples. Originally built in 1742 as a simple wooden shrine, it was officially reconstructed into a formal temple in 1804. After several renovations in the 19th century, the temple evolved into a grand three-hall, three-courtyard structure. Every year on the 15th day of the third lunar month, the Bao’an Temple holds the Birthday Celebration Ceremony for the Divine Physician.The temple arranges a variety of rich and exciting activities, including clan opera performances (the opening ceremony is on April 25 at 7:00 PM), traditional performance troupes, fire lion displays, and ancient sacrificial rites.It can be described as a festival that combines religious devotion, culture, tourism, and folk traditions.

After visiting the Bao’an Temple or participating in the Bao’an Culture Festival, you can easily walk to the nearby Taipei Confucius Temple, which is just a step away. There are many must-see spots at the Confucius Temple, such as the “Scripture Cylinder,” which reflects the love of books among scholars of the time, and the “Owl Statue,” symbolizing Confucius’ belief that “education is for all.”

Additionally, to experience traditional and deeply grassroots temple-front street food, head to Dadaocheng Cisheng Temple. Commonly known as the Dadaocheng Mazu Temple, Cisheng Temple enshrines the Heavenly Holy Mother—commonly called Mazu or the Goddess of the Sea—who is the guardian deity of sailors. Originally built in 1866 at the intersection of modern-day Xining North Road and Minsheng West Road, the temple was demolished in 1910 due to urban redevelopment by Japanese authorities. Local people from Tong’an then pooled funds to relocate it to its current site on Yanping North Road, reconstructing it using the original beams, pillars, and stones. The reconstruction was completed in 1914, preserving its original appearance to this day.