Rising Lotus Temple (蘆洲湧蓮寺)

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Religion in Taiwan is both exciting and vibrant and even though an outsider like myself may not fully understand everything that is going on, its all very interesting to the little anthropologist in me and it is apparent that it plays an important role in the way Taiwanese people conduct themselves in their daily lives. 

While it may be difficult for outsiders to understand what is going on all the time, we can still enjoy the amazing spectacles that may include fireworks, fire crackers, dancing gods, lion dances and drums. These events may seem to be a normal aspect of life to the people who grew up here, but to people like myself, they provide a unique look into the so-called soul of this country and what makes it one of the most amazing places that I've had the opportunity to call home.  

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The history of this small island has been a turbulent one - especially over the past few centuries with several different colonial powers taking control and spreading their influence. The spread of different belief systems was widespread during these periods forming Taiwan into the polytheistic and ultimately extremely tolerant country that it is today.  

Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism (including Chinese Folk Religion) have especially spread throughout the island and have shaped the Taiwanese worldview. Religious places of worship do a good job reflecting not only the past, but the people who have shaped the country into what it is today.  Temples in Taiwan therefore double as active places of worship and museum-like relics that have withstood the troubled history of this island.  

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One of the defining changes in religion in over the past century was during the Japanese occupation of the country. During that period there was widespread persecution of Taoism (as it was seen as representative of Chinese culture as a whole) Taoists took to worshipping in secret in Buddhist temples which allowed them to practice in secret without fear of persecution.

This example of compassion, tolerance and acceptance changed the religious landscape of the land and if you walk into any of Taiwan's 5000 temples today you will certainly notice that several religions are often housed within the same building and all work together in peace and are all respected by Taiwanese people no matter if they consider themselves a follower of that religion or not.    

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The Rising Lotus Temple (湧蓮寺) in New Taipei City's Luzhou District (蘆洲區) is prime example of this tolerant attitude towards religion. The temple is a 143 year old polytheistic temple that opens it doors to the followers of Buddhism, Taoism and Chinese Folk Religion. 

It is a large three-storey temple that is busy all year round - but especially busy during the lunar new year celebrations when families from all over the country will brave the massive crowds to pray for good blessings for the coming year. 

The temple has historically been important to the Luzhou area and as you see quite often in Taiwan, large temples tend to be the cultural centre of the community - which means there is a lively night market and bustling traditional business district surrounding the temple. 

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The temple houses four large shrines with several smaller off-shooting shrines.

• The main shrine is dedicated to the (Chinese) Buddha of Compassion known as Guanyin (南海觀世音菩薩)
• The shrine on the top floor of the temple is dedicated to Shakyamuni Buddha (釋迦牟尼佛), the Medicine Buddha (藥師佛) and Amitabha (阿彌陀佛)
• Another shrine is dedicated to the Four Heavenly Kings (四大天王) which are protector deities in Buddhism. 
• A shrine on the first floor is dedicated to various gods of Chinese folk religion including the Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝) and others. 

Some of the off-shooting shrines are dedicated to various deities of Chinese folk heroes such as Koxinga and his lieutenants who have been important in Chinese history. 

For Chinese readers, the list of shrines in the temple are as follows:

• 正殿：南海觀世音菩薩、善才、龍女、韋馱菩薩、伽藍菩薩
• 三寶殿：釋迦牟尼佛、藥師佛、阿彌陀佛、（釋迦牟尼佛侍者：迦葉尊者、阿難尊者）
• 天王殿：四大天王
• 玉皇殿：玉皇大帝、三官大帝、南斗星君、北斗星君、太陽星君、太陰星君、文昌帝君、魁星爺、高元帥、李天君、楊天君等
• 後殿、眾神殿（懋德宮）：國姓爺、（國姓爺副將：萬禮將軍、甘輝將軍）天上聖母、註生娘娘、中壇元帥、福德正神、西秦王爺、田都元帥

Walking around the temple, you'll be overwhelmed by the amazing attention to detail within. The temple adheres to the principles of Feng Shui in its design and all of its walls are painted with incredible murals depicting the life of the Buddha as well as different periods of Chinese history.

The stone work on the walls is beautiful and I could have spent hours walking around looking at all the minor details. The roof of the temple as well has amazing design and there are dragons and phoenixes littered throughout and almost seem to be communicating with each other. 

If you are in Luzhou for the day, make sure to stop over and check out the Rising Lotus temple. The Night Market in front of the temple also has some great food and the surrounding area is well known for it's freshly hand-cut noodles (刀切麵) and is easily accessible through the new Luzhou line on Taipei's MRT. 

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Gallery / Flickr (High Res Shots) 

Getting to the Temple

Take Taipei MRT's new Luzhou Line (蘆洲線) and get off at Sanmin Senior High School Station. The temple is about a 5 minute walk from exit one with directions on a sign outside the station. 

Address: 新北市蘆洲區得勝街96號 （#96 De Sheng Street, Lu Zhou District New Taipei City)

 

Yuan Guang Temple (圓光禪寺)

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I spent a lot of time growing up studying the various forms of Buddhism and how the philosophy varied from country to country - That interest ultimately led me to become involved with Shambhala, a Buddhist group started by a Tibetan Lama who had escaped to the west just after the 1959 uprising in Tibet. I don't consider myself a Buddhist, nor do I follow any other religion, but I have a lot of respect for the core values of the philosophy.

I didn't actually spend that much time learning about the spread of Buddhism in Taiwan so when I arrived in Taiwan, one of the things that quickly became a hobby was visiting all the various temples and taking the time to enjoy the treasure troves of traditional Taiwanese art inside them. I often tell people that there is not much you could learn in a museum about Taiwanese history that you wouldn't learn from a Taiwanese temple. 

One thing that interests me about the temples here is that you often find several different religions all housed within the same building coexisting peacefully.

People have argued with me that all these religions (Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and various folk religions) all are more or less derived from each other or at least related therefore there is no need to have conflict with each other- but to that I would counter: Are Judaism, Christianity and Islam not related?

I personally believe that this is not a reflection of the religions you find here, but a testament to the kind of people you find in this country and that these trivial arguments and wars we have in the west over religion are pointless.

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When it comes to Buddhist monasteries in Taiwan however I start to get a bit confused as to what is actually going on inside them. Buddhism is rooted in a philosophy of living a simplistic non-material life, and if you become a monastic, that simplicity and lack of materialism is supposed to go to the extreme. 

I find that the major Buddhist organizations in Taiwan (Dharma drum mountain (法鼓山), Fo Guang Shan (佛光山), Tzu Chi (慈濟) and Chung Tai Shan (中台山) all seem to subscribe to some strange notion of modernity and take the Vatican’s “bling bling” approach to religion which to me seems a bit ironic considering the way Buddhists should adhere to a lack of attachment to worldly objects.

Any visit to these monasteries in Taiwan tends to be a bit overwhelming at the displays of opulence put on by these organizations. These displays of monetary wealth likely go hand in hand with Chinese culture and I guess it shouldn't be that surprising to see that they take the “go big or go home” attitude towards life that is a reflection of the Chinese notion of having “face.”

I think the the majority of the money spent on these massive palace-like monasteries would be better spent on charity and improving the lives of the poor. 

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One group that doesn't seem to go overboard with their decadence is the “Yuan Kuang” (圓光) Ch'an Buddhist group here in Taoyuan. 

Ch'an Buddhism (禪宗) is better known in the west as “Zen” and had its origins in 6th Century China before it spread to Korea, Japan and Vietnam centuries later. 

The Yuan Kuang temple was established in 1918 during the Japanese Colonial period by a monk named Miao-Guo who was so influential at the time that he was invited to Japan to teach the Japanese royal family.

When he came back to Taiwan he built the Yuan Kuang Temple here in Zhongli (中壢) and through it he attracted young people to experience monastic life while at the same time offering high school and college education courses to them. Since 1987 the temple has been renovated and they have started to expand the school to an area near the monastery where they are now offering graduate courses. 

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The design of the main temple stresses simplicity. When you walk in you are greeted by a statue of the Laughing Buddha known here in Taiwan as Mi Le Fo (彌勒佛) with a paved walkway to the steps of the temple with a garden on both sides. The front of the temple has a modestly sized statue of the Buddha of Compassion Guanyin (I say modestly sized because most of the temples mentioned above have statues taller than 75 meters.)

When you walk up the stairs you are greeted by the entrance to the shrine/meditation room with some small statues of the Buddha at the door as well as an incense burner in the middle. 

The shrine room is beautiful, but once again it stresses simplicity and doesn't go overboard like the other monasteries I've visited. It's very quiet inside and there is always a nice breeze coming in through the windows. For an organization that has obvious weath, its refreshing to see the Yuan Kuang group maintaining a simple monastery and not expanding to the extent that many of the other monastic orders in Taiwan have succumbed to. 

If you plan on visiting the temple, you are more than welcome, but I stress that this monastery has quite a few monastics, so turn off your cellphone ringer and be quiet to respect the people who are trying not to fall asleep while meditating. 

If you're travelling through Zhongli, the Yuan Kuang temple is a nice stop over for an hour or so. The people there are kind and they don't push religion on you, tell grandiose stories or ask for donations like so many other places like this do.

The map below shows how to get to the monastery, it is a short drive from Zhongli or the Taoyuan High Speed Rail station. I don't think there are buses that run through the area, so it would be best to arrange your own transportation. 

 

Website: 圓光禪寺 (Chinese-Only) 

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Gallery / Flickr (High Res Shots) 

Wu Liao Jian (五寮尖)

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Wuliaojian is a hardcore, awesome, epic (insert a bunch of other cool adjectives) day-hike in the Sanxia district (三峽區) of New Taipei City.

This hike isn't for the faint of heart, so if you plan on taking this one on, be sure that you're prepared for a full body workout, some ropes and climbing. This hike isn't your ordinary hike and if you are afraid of heights or scaling yourself down a rock face, you may want to reconsider going! 

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Crag next to the ridge. 

If you try it, try your best. Be sure to push yourself. Challenge yourself to finish the hike no matter how tired you are or how much pain you are suffering from.

I guarantee when you finish you will feel absolutely amazing. 

Especially after the full body massage that you'll likely need to have when you're done! 

You might notice I'm being a bit facetious. I've done this hike a few times already and I absolutely love it. What I don't love is seeing a loving couple in the middle of the path loudly ending their relationship because of this hike. It's not an easy one, so don't go into it casually thinking you'll be done in an hour or so. 

If you do feel up to it, have fun, and most importantly, be safe while doing it. 

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The trail starts beside the Yu-Li convenience store (玉里商店) on the the Taiwan provincial highway 7 (台7線) that takes you from Sanxia to Man Yue Yuan (滿月圓森林遊樂區.)

There are buses that will take you to the trailhead from Sanxia, but they are infrequent and if you are relying on public transportation, it's best to take a taxi from Sanxia and get the drivers phone number so that he or she can pick you up when you're done.

You don't want to get stuck at the bottom of the trail waiting an hour or more for a bus. You'll be sweaty and cold. Its a good recipe for catching a cold in Taiwan due to the humidity here. 

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The star attraction of the hike

When you arrive at the trailhead be sure that you have enough water. I would recommend at least 1000cc or more per person just to be safe. You can buy water, chocolate and other snacks in the store beside the trailhead. There tend to be a lot of mosquitos in certain areas of this hike. A Taiwanese hiker on the trail told me that if you buy a can of beer and split it with a friend before you start the hike, mosquitos won't bother you. I guess mosquitos don't like beer-smelling sweat. I'm not sure if its an old-wives tale or not, but he didn't seem to be being bothered by mosquitos while we were swatting at them. 

Before starting the hike make sure to buy a pair of gloves in the store for 10NT. Your hands will thank you for it when you finish as there are a lot of ropes to navigate and pull yourself up. Rope burn on your palms isn't the most comfortable problem to have, especially when the hike is already hard enough on your body.

From the get-go, this hike goes up, straight up. It isn't like other hikes that start out gradually and become difficult later. This may be a good thing though because you find a lot of people aren't really prepared for it and quickly decide that this hike isn't for them within the first few minutes. 

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A Taiwanese hiker climbing down the ridge

The hike climbs and climbs. The path is really cool and from time to time you get these amazing vistas looking at the road below and the river valley below that. Sooner or later when you get high enough you'll be able to see Sanxia and other parts of New Taipei City. 

You should note that on weekends there tends to be a bit of traffic on the trail which may slow things down a little. 

I come from a family of "fast-walkers." My mom was once told while on a business trip in Texas by a mall security guard to "Slow down Ma'am." and I follow in those footsteps. 

If there are people in your way, its best to be polite and wait for them to give way. You'll notice that hikers in Taiwan are some of the kindest people you'll ever meet. They're always polite and they always smile and say "加油" (Go, Go) when they meet you on a trail. If they notice that they're slowing you down, they'll be sure to make way for you to pass them. Likewise, if you're blocking them, be sure to let them pass by. 

After hiking for a while you'll eventually get to one of the main attractions of the hike. The ridge walk. There are two parts to the ridge walk. The first part is a ridge walking up to the main ridge. At this one you have amazing views of the valley below and depending on the weather you'll have a great view of Sanxia and if you're lucky you might even see Taipei 101 in the distance. 

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My hiking friend climbing down one of the rock faces. 

After walking up this part of the ridge you'll walk through a small tree covered area and come out to what for most people is the main attraction of the hike. This is where a lot of people stop to take a break, have a snack and enjoy the 360 degree panoramic views you have of the mountains surrounding you. Its a really cool spot to sit and relax, but on a hot day you will have the sun shining directly on you, so you might not want to stay for too long. 

From this point you have to climb down the rope to the bottom of the ridge. From here you have some choices:

• Climb the crag opposite the ridge. 
• Keep hiking towards the peak behind the ridge. 
• Get the hell out of dodge. (Take the exit) 

If you are planning the third option, I highly recommend at least climbing the crag opposite the ridge. It only takes a couple of minutes and there are some nice views at the top. From there you can make your way to the exit and head back down to the trailhead. 

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The TREE (You'll know it when you see it!) 

If you're not a chicken however, there's still a lot of climbing to do. The peak behind the ridge should ultimately take another hour or so of climbing. It involves pretty much the same style of hiking. There are ropes to climb up and once you get past the huge tree (you'll know which one I mean when you see it) you'll more or less just have to climb up a pretty steep side of the mountain to get to the peak. 

The Wuliaojian peak isn't a very big one. There is probably only room for about 10-15 people, but you don't have to worry too much about that. Not that many people actually make it to the peak. On top of the peak there is a small marker that has the words "總督府" (Governors Office) which is a remnant of the Japanese colonial period in Taiwan referring to the Japanese installed governor who lived in what is now Taiwan's Presidential Building.  

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Sanxia in the distance (shot with a telephoto lens, so its actually not that close) 

The peak has some nice views of the valley below and also of Sanxia. You don't exactly get a panoramic view but you do have a pretty good view. Now that you're at the top its time to make your way down. The way down is actually a lot easier than the way up, but you have to be careful of your knees as you are more prone to put pressure on your knees going down than going up. 

When you get to the main path, and by that, I mean back to the big tree, the exit is more or less marked and it will take you down a path that will probably take you about half an hour or more to get back to the store. 

On the way back to the path there is a really cool looking structure that looks like someone started building a house but only had enough money to build 1/4 of it. So you have this brick building with nature growing all over it and its covered by trees. 

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Incomplete and abandoned building

If you're like me, when you get to the bottom you'll walk straight into the store and buy a can of Taiwan Beer and finish drinking it in about 5 seconds. 

Wuliaojian is an epic hike. Its fun. Its a day-hike - but it tests your limits in the same way a high mountain hike would do. 

This hike comes highly recommended. Its my favourite day hike and I'm sure that if you give it a chance, you'll enjoy it just as much as I do! 

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A couple of guys who quit just before getting to the main ridge. 

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Google Map Location

 

Be sure to check out the sliding gallery below, or click the Flickr link to be see high res pictures from the hike! I hope you enjoy them!  

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Gallery / Flickr (High Res Photos)

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Smart Phone Shots of me on the Ridge

Here are a couple shots of me heading down the rope on the ridge from one of my friends. 

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