#longshan temple

[thistransient]

Around Longshan Temple in the summer

[atlasandacamera]

The Longshan Temple, Lukang, Taiwan

[maopopo222]

[cbholganza]

Taiwannabe With You!!!

Had a quick visit to Taiwan recently. My wife and I wanted to give the family a short respite, something we haven’t done together for a long time. The last time we had a fam-time abroad was in 2013, when we had a quickie vacation in Vietnam. (Pls read: Vacationing in Vietnam.) This time, I wanted them to experience a different, yet equally beautiful and proud culture, that of Taiwan. Our…

[thedalatribune]

© Paolo Dala

A Magical Instant

At one magical instant the page of a book - that string of confused, alien ciphers - shivered into meaning. 

Words spoke to you, gave up their secrets; At that moment, whole universes opened. You became, irrevocably, a reader.

Alberto Manguel

[calpicowater]

Week 27.2/52: July 1st - July 7th 2024 | Last Day in Taiwan

fantuan for breakfast!!!!! finally

longshan temple

botanical garden (I don't rec)

the hainanese chicken rice for dinner was yums!

[mothmiso]

Taipei (2) (3) by Jason

Via Flickr:

(2) Longshan Temple     

[ejamesquijano]

A FARAWAY CITY Hello, Taipei

I would like to believe that life is only worth it if you collect memories that you would carry with you as you leave this world someday. A future nostalgia as you age, and a supercut that will play during your very last breath. Sometimes I think about dying with a smile knowing that I have done it all — but that is still a constant goal right now. And I am really convinced that this memory is one I would remember for always.

I have spent four amazing days in Taiwan with Wence, the boy who’s been pulling my heartstrings for almost a decade now. And oh heavens, it was my first time to travel out of the country and I wouldn’t do it any other way. It was a beautiful core memory to carry with me although at times I still feel like it was only just a dream. It was also an awakening, that life is bigger than you could ever imagine and I am just a dot in this incredible planet.

The Supercut: Hotel overnight. Airport stories. Red-eye flight. Taiwan touchdown. Subway train rides. Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. Bopiliao Historical Block. 7 Eleven snacks. Ximending walks. Red House x DVD stalls. Met Jai Hang. Blue hour mornings. Coaster Bus rides. York as our tour guide. Met our kabayan, Athena. Yehliu Geopark. Shuinandong Smelter x Golden Blue Sea. Golden Waterfalls. The mystic Jiufen Old Street. Shifen Station. Sundown bus ride and realizing I was happy. Shillin Market. Photobooth moments with Wence. Bought charms and crystals. Warm hotel nights with Wence. U-Bike moments. Din Tai Fung x Taipei 101. Fell in love with Da’an District’s Jinhua and Qingtian Streets. Train to Tamsui. Biking x Sunset Watching at Tamsui. Spa night. Biking x midnight snacks at the hotel. Fong Da Coffee. Longshan Temple. Spent the afternoon biking around CKS Park. Luggage shenanigans. Streetside Noodles for dinner. Train ride back to airport. Another red-eye flight, but every little thing was so worth it.

For someone like me who thought his heart was hardened by life’s mishaps and shits, these moments remind me that there are still a lot of things to look forward to, a lot of experiences to warm your core, and that cliché statement is nothing but true: Happiness really starts from within. I have come to realize that I never want to lose that sense of wonder, to discover more and understand life better.

At this moment, I still think about how life isn’t really perfect after all, that I still might duel with sadness in the future. But let me just capture this feeling for a little while. It may be simple for others but let me just dive into this memory a little longer. For one day I’ll get older and I’ll reminisce those days when I felt genuinely happy.

*** 35mm Expired Fuji Superia 200 March, 2023

[irismfrost]

July 14 - Free Day: What It's Like To Be A Local

I spent today on my own. I met up with my Dad's old business partner and friend, who lives in Taipei. My Dad works in architecture and his friend works in interior design (there was also a third business partner who I have not met). He and his wife picked me up from the hotel and we went to Green Bakery located in a residential part of the city that I haven't been to yet. The creations at this place were unlike anything I've ever seen. Every product was a work of art and had complex and new (to me) flavors. For example, one dessert that looked like Yu Shan (Jade Mountain- the tallest mountain in Taiwan) had a greenish bottom layer and a white top layer. It was cold and the bottom was a bit denser and has an earthier flavor while the top was light and airy. It had a sesame filling that was a bit grainy in texture. It had a light sweetness- not like the US. The filling is intentionally grainy to represent the dirt in the mountain. The layers had the perfect density- as time went on the top started to get softer and the bottom held its shape better. It made me think about being close to the ground (bottom part) and being close to the clouds (top part). I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to meet my Dad's friend and his wife, and that he shared this Sunday with me. They were both so friendly and our conversation could've gone on and on and on. We were probably at that shop for over 2 hours. He showed me his office space which is just as innovative as I expected. And he has a picture of him and my Dad when my Dad was building our house when I lived in Georgia which I thought was pretty cool.

Him and his wife dropped me off at the temple we visited yesterday. In my previous post, I called it "Longshan" but when I went back, I noticed that it was spelled, "Lung Shan", so i wanted to address that correction before I talk about it more. I thought it would be interesting to immerse myself into a new culture and just give it a solid try. It took me a while to figure out what I was doing, but thankfully, the English pamphlet, QR code with prayer directions, and many nice people helped me very much. I started with Bodhisattva (the central Buddhist figure at the temple). I am not one to pray but I did and I made sure to say my name, date of birth (DOB), and current address at the beginning. All prayers start the same here. Then I moved on to the Daoist Gods- I didn't pray to all of them, just a few. I forgot to give my offering (I only had my granola bar) when I first started praying to Bodhisattva, so I circled back and re-prayed to Him before I took it back. I also decided to do the moon blocks (poé). This was more of a challenge than I anticipated. There were also specific directions on the website that I followed. When you throw the blocks, you don't get an answer to your specific question, but you get to know whether your question WILL be answered. You are asking for a divine sign (the sign is when the blocks say "yes") that your question will be answered today. The answer to your specific question is found in poem form (you interpret it) and there are about 100 poems that could be your answer. The number on the stick is how you figure out which poem is the answer to your question. The first step is to start your prayer, ask for a sign, and ask your question. When you get a "yes", you then pull a stick with a number. If you don't get a "yes" at this point, you have to rephrase your question and try again. The answer you are looking for corresponds to the number on the stick, but you have to confirm that the number you just pulled is the correct answer. So you need to get 3 "yes"s in a row to confirm. This is the tedious part. If you don't get a yes, you draw another number. There were certain points that I just restarted the whole prayer and I kept re-wording my question. After what was probably an hour or throwing blocks on the floor, I finally got an answer. I asked the lady who was selling the charms and trinkets to help me interpret it (it was all in Chinese). I also bought some charms and blessed them. She was very helpful and patient with me. I spoke with her on many separate occasions. When I got back to the hotel, I ate my granola bar offering. It was very melted, but I felt proud of myself that I completed the ritual.

Reflection

Meeting my Dad's friend was such a unique experience that I never could've imagined. Yesterday, I talked about the perception of time in Taiwan in comparison to the US. He and his wife took over 3 hours out of their Sunday to spend time with me. And it didn't have to be 3 hours, but everyone was enjoying the moment and it just happened to be that long. In the US, meetings like that are typically a little more rigid with timing and structure. Sometimes in the US, conversation is cut short in an effort to stick to a timeline. It feels refreshing to let go of the need to control time (to enjoy the present without the future looming overhead).

At Lung Shan temple, actively participating in the customs felt so strange and took a lot of confidence. Everyone stares because I look different and I didn't have enough clothes to dress super modestly which made me feel more out of place. I didn't pray to every deity because A. I didn't think they all applied to me and B. that would've taken a long time, but it made me realize how much work prayer is. It takes a lot of focus to clear your mind to pray. It takes a lot of discipline to keep repeating the beginning part and not rush through it (back to the idea of time-orientation). It also just takes a long time if you want to be thorough (especially if you want trustworthy results from throwing the blocks LOL). It is also hard to specify your prayer. That is part of the reason you are so specific with your name, DOB, and address in the beginning. You can only get what you want when you know what you want. I compare this to goal setting and the idea behind manifestation.

Every day, I wake up grateful that I am here and have already grown so much in 4 days. These reflections are an amazing avenue to do just that.

[jacksulkes]

July 13 - Longshan Temple

Today in Taipei, Peter took us to four places. First, we went to a local wet market. I saw many fruits that I didn’t recognize and meats that I’ve never tried such as shark. Then, we walked through the oldest part of Taipei to get to Longshan Temple, which is a beautiful, ornate temple which has components of Buddhism and Daoism. They have these moon blocks that you can ask questions and get an answer. I used them. After that, we walked through Taipei Botanical Garden. They had these gorgeous lotus flowers. Lastly, we explored a museum near the garden which exclusively had art by Taiwanese sculptor Yuyu Yang. We were sent on our own for lunch, so I went to a hotpot restaurant with part of our group. The hotpot was very good, and I got to try some foods like chicken testicle. Later on, I had dinner at a small restaurant in Liaoning Street Market with two guys from the group. After dinner, some of us went out clubbing near Taipei 101 at Wave, which is the 32nd best club in the world according to DJ Magazine.

Academic Reflection:

The only reason I knew that there was shark meat at the wet market is because Peter pointed it out to me. He also taught us that they are less commonly used today because of supermarkets. On the way to the temple, he showed us the oldest part of Taipei. He explained to us the history of the arrival of different building materials. For example, the Dutch brought bricks, and we saw the brick part of the old building. Peter also explained that the older buildings are actually better because they have a covered corridor like a sidewalk so people can walk in the sunny heat and the rain.

At the temple, Yeh Laoshi and Peter explained to us how the moon blocks and other things worked. This information enhanced my experience because it became interactive once I was using the moon blocks myself. They also explained to us that the dragon statues on the temple show how it is not strictly Buddhist because only Daoists would put the dragons. The last piece of information they gave us at the temple was about each of the gods in the temple and what they were the god of. At the garden, Yeh Laoshi taught me that the showerhead part of the lotus flower has all the seeds.

[thistransient]

Chinese New Year at Longshan Temple

[z45capp]

July 13 - Taipei; Longshan Monastery, Heritage and Culture Education Center of Taipei

Today we started with a quick walk through of Dongsanshui Street Market and Xinfu Market. Even at 10 o’clock on Saturday morning, the market was busy with vendors selling everything from fruits and vegetables to poultry and meat and even to clothes. With so many interesting things to buy, it was hard not to want to stop and shop around a little bit. I would be very interested in going back and seeing what is being sold; I already spotted a vendor selling dried preserved plums, a treat I recently discovered and fell in love with. After exiting the market, we walked to the Heritage and Culture Education Center of Taipei, a site that preserves the traditions and stories of Taipei. Next we visited the Longshan Monastery, a temple dedicated to Buddhist and Daoist gods. A little nerve-wracking to be sight-seeing in an active worship area, it was still worthwhile to experience firsthand how people of other faiths honor and pray to their gods. As a Christian, it is still a little hard for me to wrap my head around the idea of having multiple gods to pray to and ask for blessings. I understand the valor in having multiple gods dedicated to multiple things, but it does seem almost hard to remember which god “presides” over what and having to ask each individual god for their blessings. However, I do suppose that if I had been born into a polytheistic religion, this would make as much sense to me as believing in a monotheistic God is to me now. Finally, we walked through the Taipei Botanical gardens and to the National Museum of History, Yuyu Yang exhibit. The gardens were beautiful, boasting ponds of water lilies and some much needed shade. The museum was very interesting too and I very much enjoyed walking around and seeing the many works of Yuyu Yang. 

Academic Reflection

The Heritage and Culture Education Center of Taipei preserves the cultural heritage of Taiwan by deepening one’s understanding of Taipei City history. Due to the long history of Taiwan and its multiple periods of occupation, there is no doubt that there would be cultural influences from around the world, with the Center showing influences from multiple cultures and time periods. The use of bricks as a building material was brought to Taipei by the Dutch, Japanese influence during the time of occupation created vertical structuring, and the Qing Dynasty inspired an older architectural style, with covered walkways and hanging lanterns. When Chiang Kai-Shek fled mainland China to Taiwan, he named many of the streets after provinces and areas in China, as a possible way of reclaiming the homeland he lost. It was very interesting to see these multiple influences in person, but having a deeper understanding of them has helped me to understand more about the history of the city and of Taiwan as a country. I would be interested to see how these influences manifest themselves in other parts of the country. 

Longshan Monastery is shaped by multiple gates and towers and halls that form several courtyards. Specifically, there is a bell tower to the east that faces a drum tower to the west, creating the courtyard of the main hall and the Sanchuan. Though, I did not immediately recognize these towers when walking through the courtyard, upon re-reading, I can now place the towers more significantly in my mind when thinking back on my experience. Knowing that the bell tower rings to open the temple and the drum tower beats to close the temple also contributes to my recognition of the importance of the towers and to the overall design and structure of the temple. Something that I did not know beforehand was about the moon blocks, wooden blocks with a rounded side and a flat side, and how they are used to ask questions of the gods. A petitioner shuffles the moon blocks in their hands before throwing them on the ground; if they both land with the flat side up, then the answer to the question is no; if both rounded sides land up, the answer is no; if one moon block is rounded side up and the other flat side up, the answer is yes. While this can be a way of answering a question, if one wanted a more specific answer, they would have to shuffle numbered sticks which then lead to traditional poems, leading to a more specific answer. When visiting the temple, it was an engaging experience to see people actively using them in prayer and knowing why they are throwing shaped wooden blocks on the ground before them. While there is nothing truly similar to moon blocks in Christianity, it is interesting to understand how different faiths ask their questions, when I personally, look for signs and a feeling of peace from God for my questions.

[maopopo222]

[brookebeebe-blog]

July 13th - Longshan Buddhist Temple, National Museum of History, Botanical Gardens, and Ximen Red House

Today, we started with an authentic market. They mostly sold meats, fruits and vegetables, but it was super interesting to see the different types of cuisine available in this country compared to America. There were so many different types of fruit that I have never seen before and they were selling huge slabs of shark meat. Then, we went to the Longshan Buddhist Temple, which was super beautiful. It was fun to partake in some of the culture and see how big a role religion plays here. Next, we went to the Botanical Gardens and the National Museum of History. There were lotus flowers in bloom and the museum had lots of art. Lastly, we stopped at Ximen Red House and we did lots of shopping around that area. Our group got hotpot together, which was super good and some of the people in our group were very adventurous with what they were eating (I was not).

Academic Reflection

Unfortunately, we did not get to do the cultural center because it was closed, which is what most of our reading was focused on, so instead I will be using other resources to discuss what I have learned. First, our tour guide described to use the method of asking questions at the Longshan Temple. There are moon blocks, called Jiaobei, which you ask a yes or no question to and then when you throw them, they tell you your answer. One up and one down means yes, two flat side up means maybe, and two crescent side up means no. After you have your answer from the blocks, you can further confirm by grabbing a stick with a number on it at random. Then, after you have this number you bring it to a box with a matching number and open the box to find a poem, which should give you the answers you seek. There were so many different types of gods to pray to. Each one served a different purpose. For example, there was a god of medicine and a god of grades. It is also common practice to give an offering to the gods in order to please them. The next thing I would like to discuss is the importance of the Ximen Red House. After Japan suffered defeat in WWII, many Chinese immigrants came to Taiwan and enjoyed what the Red House Theater had to offer. It played everything from western films to old black and white martial arts movies. It was revitalized and today, it hosts an array of shops and cultural information.

Citations

https://talent.nat.gov.tw/life/unveiling-tradition-previsit-etiquette-for-exploring-temples-in-taiwan?lang=en

[jasminebutintaiwansojiemin]

July 13th, 2024 星期六 - 西門地 + 東三水街市場_新富市場 + Taipei Botanical Gardens

We met around 9:30 am and headed on the green line to the blue transfer station where we rode the MRT to the Longshan stop. As soon as we got out of the station, the Longshan Daoist/Buddhist temple was in view. It was very beautiful and colorful. First, we headed to the wet market. By the name, I assumed “wet market” meant mainly fish/seafood but it was just an outdoor market selling fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, and other goods. Our tour guide said that when he was a kid, he would go with his grandmother. It heavily reminded me of how I would go to very similar markets with my grandmother in Jamaica. As we entered through the dragon side, the wide variety of fresh produce could be seen everywhere you look. I noted that it was mostly older people buying and selling at the market. Our tour guide noted that there are increasingly less and less wet markets in Taiwan, as many opt to go to grocery stores instead.

After making our way through the market, we headed towards Longshan temple. A place of worship mixed with the Daoist and Buddhist beliefs, it was extremely colorful and adorned with porcelain, gold, and jade. As we walked through the temple, we got to see and try out using the moon stones to answer our questions. In the Daoist part of the temple, there were several shrines for different gods such as the gods of love, war, and health/wellness. There was also an area where one can buy talismans/good luck charms. I definitely want to return tomorrow to buy good luck charms for my friends and family.

After the temple, we rode the MRT again and ended up at the Taipei Botanical Gardens which we walked through before ending up at a museum for a famous Taiwanese Architect. After exploring the museum, we took the MRT once more and ended back in Ximendi, where class was dismissed. Afterwards, I went along with some of my classmates to eat hot pot. After lunch, the girls all went shopping around Ximendi for some cut clothes. We also colored the Red House and surrounding flea market shops before returning home on the MRT green line. Before entering the hotel, we stopped at a Family Mart so I could buy a special Kyoho grape redbull—something we definitely don’t have back home.

Academic Reflection

I was very interested in the wet markets we visited today. I ended up doing some research on wet markets in Taiwan, especially the differences between those in Taiwan and those in Mainland China. I found that apparently that has been a large increase in regulation of the wet markets in recent years. Live-killing of animals and the selling of live animals have been cracked down on, but you can still buy snakes, turtles, and live fish sometimes. I also found online how the Jianguo Wet Market in Taichung was torn down and re-made into a building that even includes industrial refrigerators and breastfeeding rooms.

Our tour guide also told us about a jade market that happens on the weekends a wet market like the one we visited today. Turns out it is the a similar area to the Jianguo market previously mentioned. This immediately sparked my interest because one of the things I really wanted to buy in Taiwan is jade jewelry. At this market, one can also buy an array of gorgeous flowers and plants. Located in Da’an and open from 9am to 6pm, there are about 700 stalls selling many goods from and flowers, to ceramics and furniture. I most definitely plan on going tomorrow to buy jade jewelry.

[faithintaiwan]

july 13 - longshan buddhist temple + national museum of history + dongsanshui street market

We awoke early this morning to make it for the Dongsanshui Street Market and the Xinfu Market. Each stand within the covered market was so unique with some selling raw meat presented on counters and others with hotpot food or fish was so fascinating. It reminded me a little of Pike Place Market in Seattle as it also sells raw fish that are displayed out on ice trays. After we traveled to the Longshan Buddhist Temple where we saw offerings, tried the moon stones, and witnessed the statue procession with drums. At this point Fanny and I were dying of the heat so our next stop at the National Museum of History was a much needed respite. There we saw wonderful statues, took a photo in front of a very reflective one, and rested while watching a documentary about the artist.

Once we were set free eleven of us went to get hotpot! It was absolutely delicious with unlimited pork which Fanny and I took advantage of! After I joined other people in our group and we went clothes shopping in Ximending and explored the Red House.

Academic Reflection

Today we explored the Dongsanshui Street Market and the Xinfu Market. Peter set our departure early because markets like these operate in the morning to afternoon, unlike the other night markets. There we saw many different types of meat, fish, and cooked food all out on display. Peter told us that when he was little they would kill the chickens in front of everyone including children but in the modern day they have stopped as regard for what kids see has increased thus we did not see any live demonstrations.

After walking through the market we went to the Longshan Buddhist Temple. Perched on the roof were ornate dragons that Peter said were made of porcelain to preserve the vibrant color. He then gave a demonstration of the moon blocks. Ask a question to a deity, throw them, and an answer will be given based on which sides face up. For more specific answers, a stick with a number correlating to a poem can be grabbed. Following these instructions I also tried it and was given a no to "will I ever get a dog?" then a yes to "will I get a dog in the next two years?" so I am not entirely sure what that means.

Finally we went to the National Museum of History where we learned about a famous Taiwanese artist, Yuyu Yang, and got to look at his pieces. They featured mini versions of some of his larger metal installations, paintings, sketches, and more. A map showed where his artwork currently resides with some in the US!