The front of the Bangka Qingshan Temple was beautifully decorated

Taipei is home to a number of temples. When I stroll around the city, I often come across temples. It seems that many gods also live in this town where a lot of people live. Most of them are Taoist gods, and unlike in Japan, there are not many Buddhist temples in Taipei. However, one cannot be too careful, as Buddhist deities are also enshrined in Taoist temples.

The temple in the photo is one that I came across while strolling along a street called Guiyang Street in Wanhua District, which was one of the first to open up in Taipei. As is typical of temples in Taiwan, this temple sits in the middle of a shopping street, flanked on both sides by ordinary stores, and looks as though it might be passed by if one did not know it was there. If you didn't know better, you might have walked right past it.

The temple's decoration is so ornate that it might seem overdecorated from a Japanese point of view. There are several large yellow lanterns hanging from the ceiling, writing on the walls, and carvings on the pillars. I don't know what the blessings of this temple are, but I felt that visiting such a fancy temple would bring me good luck in money.

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