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Temples of Taiwan · 台灣廟宇

Eight temples every visitor should know

Taiwan has more than 12,000 temples, and each god has a job: one finds your soulmate, one guards your money, one helps you pass exams. Here are the famous ones, what people ask for there, and how you can take part from anywhere in the world.

Taipei Xiahai City God TemplePhoto: Solomon203 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Dadaocheng, Taipei

Taipei Xiahai City God Temple台北霞海城隍廟

Who lives here: Yue Lao, the Old Man under the Moon

A small temple in Taipei's old harbor district that holds one of the most famous matchmakers in Asia. Singles bring their name, birthday and address so Yue Lao knows who to look for; couples come back with wedding cakes to say thank you.

Don't miss
  • The small Yue Lao statue that has tied thousands of marriages
  • A free red thread and blessed coin to take home after you pray
  • Boxes of wedding cakes left by grateful couples, free for visitors
  • A huge parade for the City God's birthday every summer

People ask for: Love, marriage, a good match

Request a red thread here · $198
Lungshan TemplePhoto: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Wanhua, Taipei

Lungshan Temple艋舺龍山寺

Who lives here: Guanyin, goddess of mercy, and over a hundred other gods

Taipei's best-known temple, founded in 1738 and rebuilt many times. Locals visit Guanyin for comfort, Wenchang for exams and Yue Lao for love, all under one carved roof. In the evening the courtyard glows with candles and chanting.

Don't miss
  • Rare bronze dragon pillars at the front hall
  • The Guanyin statue that survived a 1945 air raid when the main hall was destroyed
  • Evening chanting, when locals gather to pray together
  • Night markets on the streets around the temple

People ask for: Peace, health, exams, love

Make a peace charm
Xingtian TemplePhoto: Liang SK · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Zhongshan, Taipei

Xingtian Temple行天宮

Who lives here: Guan Gong, god of loyalty and patron of business

Business owners pray here to Guan Gong, the red-faced general of loyalty and honest trade. The temple stopped burning incense in 2014 to keep the air clean, and volunteers in blue robes still perform free blessing rituals (收驚) for anyone who feels shaken.

Don't miss
  • Free 收驚 blessing by volunteers in blue robes, for anyone who feels shaken
  • No incense, no paper money, no meat offerings: only flowers and fruit
  • No donation box; it asks for nothing
  • The fortune-tellers' street in the underpass nearby

People ask for: Business, honesty, courage

Read your chart with a master
Nanshan Fude Temple, Honglu DiPhoto: Taiwankengo · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Zhonghe, New Taipei

Nanshan Fude Temple, Honglu Di烘爐地南山福德宮

Who lives here: Tudi Gong, the Earth God of wealth

High on a hill above New Taipei sits one of Taiwan's most popular wealth temples, watched over by a giant statue of the smiling Earth God. People climb at night to ask for good business, with the lights of the whole city below.

Don't miss
  • A giant golden statue of the Earth God watching over the mountain
  • One of the best night views of Taipei
  • Steep stairs that locals climb as a test of sincerity
  • Packed with worshippers before Lunar New Year

People ask for: Wealth, business, a new job

Request a wealth charm · $198
Beigang Wude TemplePhoto: Solomon203 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Beigang, Yunlin

Beigang Wude Temple北港武德宮

Who lives here: The Wealth God Zhao Gongming

Taiwan's great temple of the Wealth God, famous for its towering golden incense burner. Shop owners from all over the island drive here to ask for prosperity and bring home a little gold for the cash register.

Don't miss
  • The towering golden incense burner, one of the largest in the world
  • Gold everywhere: lamps, plaques and gifts from grateful business owners
  • Visitors take home a small token for their cash register

People ask for: Wealth, prosperity

Build your wealth corner
Zinan TemplePhoto: pang yu liu · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Zhushan, Nantou

Zinan Temple竹山紫南宮

Who lives here: Tudi Gong, the Earth God

Known across Taiwan for its 'lucky money' tradition: worshippers who receive the god's blessing borrow a small sum to start a business, then return it with thanks. It is a lovely picture of how Taiwanese faith treats wealth as something to share.

Don't miss
  • The 'lucky money' loan, repaid with thanks a year later
  • A golden bamboo-shoot sculpture greeting visitors
  • Temple restrooms so luxurious they became famous across Taiwan

People ask for: A fresh start, a new business

Find your wealth corner, free
Dajia Jenn Lann TemplePhoto: 阿道 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Dajia, Taichung

Dajia Jenn Lann Temple大甲鎮瀾宮

Who lives here: Mazu, goddess of the sea

Home of the Mazu pilgrimage, one of the largest religious processions in the world. Every spring, crowds walk for nine days and hundreds of kilometers behind the goddess's palanquin, with firecrackers, drums and temple troupes all the way.

Don't miss
  • The nine-day Mazu pilgrimage each spring, hundreds of kilometers on foot
  • Crawling under the goddess's palanquin for a blessing (鑽轎腳)
  • Firecrackers, drums and temple troupes all through the procession

People ask for: Safe travel, protection, family

Make a safe-travel charm
Taipei Confucius TemplePhoto: Foxy1219 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Datong, Taipei

Taipei Confucius Temple台北孔廟

Who lives here: Confucius, the great teacher

A calm, elegant temple with no incense and no fortune telling, just quiet courtyards dedicated to learning. Before big exams, students leave wishes here, and every September a classical ceremony celebrates Confucius's birthday.

Don't miss
  • No incense and no fortune telling, just calm courtyards
  • The grand ceremony with ancient dance on Teachers' Day, September 28
  • Students pull a hair from the ceremonial ox for 'wisdom' (智慧毛)

People ask for: Study, exams, wisdom

Make a study charm

How to visit a Taiwanese temple

Enter by the right door

Go in through the door on the right (the dragon side) and leave by the left (the tiger side). The middle door is for the gods.

Introduce yourself

Say your name, birthday and address quietly to the god, then make your wish. Gods are busy; they need to know who is asking.

Ask with moon blocks

Drop the two red crescent blocks. One flat side up and one round side up means yes. Two round sides means no; two flat sides means the god is laughing, so ask again.

Can't come to Taiwan?

We visit Taipei's wealth and love temples every week and make your request in person, on video. Wealth charm · Red thread