Taipei has advertisements for Longshan Temple and Shandao Temple but I found some websites that said Bao’an Temple was even better and had a lot less tourists.  I only visited Bao’an so I can’t compare it to other temples, but I was impressed with what I saw.

I love the colors of Korean temples and the simplicity and natural look of Japanese temples but Bao’an was the most ornate temple I have ever seen.

Bao’an Temple is a Taoist Temple dedicated to the God of Medicine.  It wasn’t very crowded when I went but there were people setting up tables of food so maybe there was a kind of ceremony going on.  I wasn’t sure if I was intruding but no one told me to leave so I just wandered around.

I loved the different scenes of the animals and people scattered around the temple.

You could probably miss it if you were walking around the neighborhood.  It’s nestled in between office buildings, apartments, and little restaurants.  One of the things I enjoyed about Taipei was stumbling upon temples, food stalls, and markets in the middle of a modern city.

You can visit the temple by heading down to Yuanshan MRT station, going straight on Kulun street and making a right onto Dalong street.  It won’t take the whole day to see but it is always nice to not fight through crowds to enjoy a sight.  I don’t mind doing activities that are considered “touristy” but no one likes waiting in lines.