The Taipei Confucius Temple 臺北孔子廟 (sometimes simply 台北孔廟) is a famous temple in Taipei, located in the northern part of Datong district, commonly known as Dalongdong (or Talungtung). The similarly beautiful Baoan Temple is right nearby. Unlike the Buddhist and Taoist temples, which are colorfully adorned and full of people praying and burning incense, the Confucius temple is more solemn and quiet. Confucianism is not a religion, it's a philosophy, a way of life (read more). The original Taipei Confucian temple was built between 1879 and 1884 during the Qing dynasty and then destroyed by the Japanese in the late 1890s and completely torn down in 1907. It originally stood near the South Gate in today's Zhongzheng, the Japanese built a Girls' high school on the same spot. Some Taiwanese however had the idea to rebuild the temple and they started to raise funds. Construction begun in Dalongdong in 1925 and was completed in 1939 and the temple still stands there today (source and more history here).
For me this beautiful temple represents perfection in every way. It's truly a great piece of architecture. Walking around the area and observing all the fine details and immersing yourself in the beautiful garden makes you calm and focused. If you need to recharge your energy, go and visit this amazing structure. This temple also represents the power of Taiwanese people, the power of solidarity and the high regard for culture and its preservation. I am most certain, that you will be impressed by this temple.
Here are my photos from March 2011:
[My DATONG overview][My TAIPEI page][All photos by MKL, 2011]
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