The facade of Lungshan Temple was decorative

Having finished observing the eagerly praying crowd, I walked out of the Lungshan Temple through the main entrance. Turning around, I saw the ornate gate in front of me. This historic temple was built in the 18th century by people from Quanzhou in Fujian Province. When the temple underwent major renovations during the Japanese occupation, craftsmen from Quanzhou, Fujian Province, were invited to come all the way from China to renovate the temple in a completely Chinese style. No matter how much one looks at the exterior of Lungshan Temple, one does not sense any Japanese elements. The Japanese Governor-General of Taiwan, who ruled the island at the time, built Shinto shrines in northern Taipei, but they probably had no say in the renovation of Longshan Temple, which is revered by the local people.

Looking up at the front of the large temple. It is heavily decorated, with dragons and some flowers. Everywhere was painted in gold, giving the impression of a very lively atmosphere. This is a feeling I do not get when I visit shrines and temples in Japan. In Japan, if gold is used frequently, it tends to be considered overly flamboyant, and the only place I can think of where gold is used abundantly in the architecture of shrines and temples is the Kinkaku-ji Temple.

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