Mengjia Longshan Temple

Mengjia Longshan Temple
Location:	Wanhua District, Taipei
Built:	1738
Built for:	Buddhist, Taoist, and folk deities such as Matsu.

Mengjia Longshan Temple (Chinese: 艋舺龍山寺; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Báng-kah Liông-san-sī) was built in Taipei in 1738 by settlers from Fujian, China. It served as a place of worship and a gathering place for the Chinese settlers. The temple has been destroyed either in full or in part on numerous earthquakes and fires.

During World War II, on 31 May 1945 it was hit by American bombers during the Raid on Taipei, who claimed the Japanese were hiding armaments inside. The main building and the left corridor were damaged and many precious artifacts and artworks were lost in the ensuing fire.

Taipei residents have nevertheless consistently rebuilt and renovated it, and did so again after the end of the Second World War a few months later. Longshan is seen as an emblematic example of Taiwanese classical architecture, with southern Chinese influences commonly seen in older buildings.

Like most temples in Taiwan, the Temple worships a mixture of Buddhist, Taoist, and folk deities such as Matsu.

Gallery of Images

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  Panorama view of the outer courtyard of Longshan Temple.

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  Worshipers during Chinese New Year.

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  Chinese Dragon on Longshan Temple.

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  Right entrance of the Longshan Temple.

See also

• Dalongdong Baoan Temple
• Xingtian Temple
• Chinese folk religion
• Religion in Taiwan

External links

• The Longshan Temple website(Chinese (Taiwan))

Coordinates: 25°02′14″N 121°29′58″E / 25.03722°N 121.49944°E / 25.03722; 121.49944