“The most well known temple in Taiwan, Lungshan Temple was built in 1738 in the city’s Manka district by settlers from Fujian as a gathering place for Chinese settlers. Located in the old village part of Taipei, this temple has stood the test of time and lasted through several natural disasters and wars. During World War II, the temple was badly damaged [on 8 June 1945] by American bombers during the Raid on Taipei after an accusation the Japanese were hiding arms inside the temple. Since the construction of the temple, Taipei residents have continuously renovated and improved the temple and the surrounding :grounds, with the temple coming to represent the pride of Taiwanese temples and worship houses, worshiping a mixture of Buddhist, Taoist, and deities like Mazu. Lungshan Temple is one of largest and oldest temples in Taiwan.” – www.guidetotaipei.com
The Temple is dedicated to the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy (Guan-Yin in Chinese, or Avalokitesvara in Sanskrit). The statue of Guan-Yin survived the bombing from the American aircraft in 1945 when the whole main hall and part of the right annex were burned – it was left intact. The Temple’s guide pamphlet notes: “This is the most famous manifestation of efficacy of Lungshan Temple”.
Din Tai Fung is probably the most famous restaurant in Taiwan, where the amazing dim sum continue to draw in the masses. While there are more than a half-dozen Din Tai Fun restaurants in Taipei, we wanted to go to the mother ship — the original Din Tai Fung on Xinyi Road. Reservations are not accepted; as typical, we had a 15- to 30-minute wait, but this dining experience and the sublime “Shanghai” soup dumplings (Xiao Long Bao) made it worth the wait.
The National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall is a very famous symbol of Taipei and the Republic of China. The large space in front of the memorial is the site for both national celebrations and protests. The octagon-shaped white building rises 76 meters / 249 feet and is covered with blue tiles and red accents, echoing the flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan). The eight sides represent the Chinese cultural symbolism of the number eight which is traditionally associated with fortune and wealth. The two sets of 89 steps represent Chiang’s age of death and lead up to main hall housing a large bronze statue of Chiang Kai-shek that is watched over by two honor guards who change shifts every hour with a rifle twirling ceremony.
The National Palace Museum is famed for the world’s best collection of historic Chinese artifacts and is a must see for first-time (and returning) visitors to the city. “Originally founded within the walls of the Beijing Forbidden City in 1925, the present-day National Palace Museum moved to Taipei’s Shilin District following the Republic of China government relocation in 1949 with an official opening for the public in 1965. Over 600,000 of the most precious artifacts within the collection were moved to Taiwan to prevent their desecration during and after the Chinese Civil War. The museum is currently celebrating its 90TH Anniversary. A fully modern museum, the Palace Museum also participates in Taiwan’s National Digital Archives Program, using the latest in digital technology to digitally preserve its ancient artifacts as well as high technology to improve the museum experience for visitors. Spread over 4 floors and 2 exhibition halls, the museum’s exhibits continuously rotate, as only a small percentage of the museum’s collection can be displayed at a given time to prevent wear.“ – www.guidetotaipei.com