Mystical temple atmosphere - Taiwan

A few meters away from glass and iron skyscrapers, banks and shopping centres, you will find curved red-roofed wooden temples, decorated with dragons, which offer a welcome culture-shock. The temples are a veritable meeting place for families or couples as well as businessmen between meetings.

The main temples are very busy places where Buddhists and Taoists cohabit. The Taiwanese population come to ask the deities for advice on their love life, professional outlook, health or even success in an exam. Fireworks, drumming, tables covered in food offerings, wafts of incense float in the air, candles light the interiors, music and chants are heard, along with mumbled prayers, whispered prayers...processions of devout Buddhists and Taoists dressed in brightly-coloured robes unravel, bringing the surroundings alive.

The most famous temple is theLungshan; on Sundays the atmosphere is particularly surprising! Don't hesitate on exploring-pull things, read things, read your fortune...there's lots to do in this very interactive place. The temple of Confucius is however the most peaceful of all which emphasises the wisdom of the revered philosopher which has today become a real hero-worship. The neighbouring Taoist temple of Pao-an also deserves a visit. Otherwise there is also the Xia-Hai temple of the City God, also known as the temple of love, which you can find at the heart of Di Hua street, the oldest street of Taipei and also THE street for Chinese medicine. The Xia-Hai temple is known as the temple of love because here the custom is to burn incense and to pray for a soul mate, which is why you will notice a lot of young people here.