Monthly Archives: June 2012

Bacacay: A Blend of History and Nature (Albay)

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From Sto. Domingo, Bernard and I motored to the nearby town of Bacacay where we paid a courtesy call on, and had lunch with, 72 year old, first term Mayor Tobias B. “Tobing” Betito, the former vice-mayor and schoolteacher, at the newly renovated (last 2008), 2-storey municipal hall.  Mayor Betito granted us the use of an Isuzu Crosswind and the services of a driver so that we can explore Cagraray Island, the home of the 20-hectare, world-class Misibis Resorts, Estate and Spa.

The 2-storey municipal hall

Before leaving for Cagraray Island, we walked over, across the street, to the Church of St. Rose of Lima (a Peruvian saint).

Check out “Church of St. Rose of Lima“

Church of St. Rose of Lima

At the left side of the church are the ruins of the old church and belfry.  My guess is these are the ruins of the church built in 1660.  The present church was probably built in the 1800s.

The old church ruins

We next walked over the hardly discernable remains of Roca Baluarte in Brgy. 3.  Formerly a Spanish-era fort with a lookout tower used to warn against Muslim pirates, it was converted into a beach resort but now lies abandoned, amidst nipa palms and mangroves, after the resort was ruined during super typhoon Reming (international name: Durian) that hit the Bicol Region on November 30, 2006.

Roca Baluarte
Mayor’s Office:  Municipal Hall, Poblacion, Bacacay, Albay. Tel: (052) 588-3243.  Website: www.bacacay.gov.ph.

Sto. Domingo: Birthplace of the Sarung Banggi (Albay)

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The next day, Bernard and I left the Governor’s Mansion in Legaspi City and took a jeep to Quick & Hearty for a buffet Filipino breakfast.  Here, we met up with Mr. Martin A. Calleja, head of Bicol Adventures Philippines and Viento de Mar Beach Resort in Bacacay. After breakfast, we made a short stopover at the DOT Region V office at Rawis where we met up with Regional Director Maria O. Ravanilla.  From here, we made the short 11.5 km. drive to the nearby quaint town of Sto. Domingo.

The author with Bernard and Dir. Maria Ravanilla

Sto. Domingo, formerly called Libog (a corruption of the Bicol term libot meaning “roundabout”), is nestled at the foot of Mayon Volcano. The town is noted for its numerous beach resorts along the jet black sand Kalayukaii Beach in Brgy. Kalayukaii, located 3 kms. east of the town.  At the Spanish-era (the former tribunal and presidencia built in 1832) municipal hall in Plaza Pugad Lawin, we made a courtesy call on Mayor Herbie  B. Aguas.

The municipal hall and fountain at Plaza Pugad Lawin

Also at the plaza, across the fountain and municipal hall is the picturesque Church of St. Dominic Guzman, the town’s most prominent landmark.

Check out “Church of St. Dominic Guzman“

Church of St. Dominic Guzman

The town is also the birthplace of Potenciano V. Gregorio (May 19, 1880-February 12, 1939), the composer of the famous local ditty Sarung Banggi (meaning “one night”), the best known song in the Bicol dialect, on May 10, 1910.  The 8-day (May 18-25) Sarung Banggi Summer Festival, which features a folk song festival, immortalizes this love song and pays tribute to its illustrious local son.   His ancestral house was burned when a fire hit the town in 1961.

Potenciano V. Gregorio Mausoleum

On May 2005, Mayor Aguas, together with then Albay Gov. Fernando and First District Rep. Edcel Lagman, had Gregorio’s remains exhumed in La Loma Cemetery and brought home to Sto. Domingo for a municipal vigil and reinterred at the town’s cemetery with military honors. In 2006, a mausoleum and his bust, also at the town plaza, was erected and his remains transferred there.  In 2010, Gregorio was declared a municipal artist by the Sangguniang Bayan.

Mayor’s Office: Municipal Hall, Plaza Pugad Lawin, St. Domingo, Albay.  Tel: (052) 435-1357.
Department of Tourism Regional Office V: Rawis, Legaspi City.  Tel: (052) 435-0085 and 482-0715.  Fax: (052) 482-0712. E-mail: dot_bicol@yahoo.com. Website: www.wowbicol.com.

Church of St. Dominic of Guzman (Sto. Domingo, Albay)

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Church of St. Dominic Guzman

First built in 1785 with wood and basag (bamboo splits), the second church was built with lava blocks in 1789 and completed in 1832.  Built with forced labor, during its construction, a mixture of lime, egg albumin and tangguli (molasses) was used to bind its massive stone walls. Burned in 1882, the present picturesque Church of St. Dominic Guzman was built with piedras ladradas, chiseled balustrades and twin domes.

The church’s Baroque facade

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

The church’s Baroque façade has a semicircular arched main entrance flanked by rectangular windows and two bell towers with dome-shaped roofs, giving it a graceful symmetry.  On the second level is a centrally located statued niche flanked by two occoli while the triangular pediment’s tympanum also has an occoli.

The church’s modern interior

Church of St. Dominic of Guzman: Tel: (052) 258-7111. Feast of St. Dominic of Guzman: August 4.

How to Get There: Sto. Domingo is located 469 kms. (a 9.25-hour drive) from Manila and 11.5 kms. (a 19-min. drive) northeast of Legaspi City.

Apuao Grande Island (Mercedes, Camarines Norte)

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Back on our boat, we still had time to visit Apuao Grande Island, the most famous of the Siete Pecados Islands.  Located 10 kms. northeast of Daet and a 45-min. boat ride from Mercedes, we again made landfall at a beautiful stretch of white sand beach.  The island also has agoho trees (an evergreen species of trees that look like pine trees),  mangrove forests, a sandbar and a steep cliff (ideal for rock climbing) on the Pacific side.

Check out “The Siete Pecados of Mercedes“

Apuao Grande Island

Apuao Grande Island was also once home to the once high-end TS Resort, formerly operated by the Australian-run Swagman Hotel chain.  At its heyday in the 1980s, it had 30 non-airconditioned cottages with bath, a restaurant, beach bar, swimming pool, tennis court, gym, sauna, a 9-hole golf course and an airstrip.  Now abandoned due to lack of marketing push and typhoons, most of the solar-powered villas are leased to many expatriates who want to stay on the island.

Posing with Apuao Pequena Island in the background

From Apuao Grande Island, we crossed over to the 24.29-hectare Apuao Pequena Island (also called Apuao Munti Island) which is connected to Apuao Grande Island by a land bridge (during low tide).  It wasn’t low tide yet, but somehow we managed to cross to the other side despite the somewhat strong current.  The island has a 350 m. long shoreline, a 150-ft. high mountain and a campsite.

The campsite at Apuao Pequena Island

We didn’t have time to visit Caringo Island and Malasugui Island (the smallest of the seven) and their white sand beaches and, thus, we again boarded our boat for the return trip back to the mainland. The perfect time for visiting these islands is from late March to early May.  It was such a pleasant surprise to see how beautiful islands such as these have been kept from the national tourism spotlight for so long.  Maybe, next time, they’ll take notice.

Crossing towards Apuao Grande Island

Mercedes Municipal Tourism Development Operation Center: Mercedes Fish Port, Mercedes, Camarines Norte.  Tel: (056) 444-1261.  E-mail: discovermercedes@yahoo.com. Website: www.discovermercedes.gov.ph.

The Siete Pecados of Mercedes

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The Siete Pecados

I again got an invitation from Daet Mayor Tito S. Sarion to attend Daet’s Pinyasan Festival together with events organizer Mr. Bernard Supetran.  Two days before the big event, I hopped on the 1 PM Philtranco bus bound for Daet.  Normally, the trip took just 8 hours but traffic due to road widening and repair projects extended my trip another 2 hours.

Check out “Pinyasan Festival 2011“

It was just about 10 PM when I arrived at the town, checking in at the Prime Suite Hotel along Vinzons Ave.  After a late dinner at a nearby Jollibee outlet, I met up with Atty. Debbee Francisco, of the Camarines NorteTourism Office, at the Miss Daet/Miss Pinyasan 2012 pageant held at the Daet Agro Sports Center.   Debbie scheduled an island hopping treat for us the next day.

Mercedes Fish Port

The next day, after breakfast, Debbee and Mr. Aldrin Sarion, a member of her staff, picked us up at our hotel and brought us to the municipal port of the nearby (7 kms.) town of Mercedes.  One of the most important and prosperous fishing ports in Luzon, this town, the fish bowl of the Bicol Region, is home to the third largest fishing ground in the country.   Mercedes’ large fishing fleet of 20-m. long basnigs supplies a large bulk of the catch of fish and shrimps to Manila.  We arrived in time for the lively early morning fish market (open from 6-8am).  At the port, we were welcomed by Mr. Victor John Orendain IV, a staff member of the Mercedes Municipal Tourism Development Operation Center.

Mercedes Municipal Tourism
Development Operation Center

Here, a boat (aptly named Dona Mercedes) was chartered for our morning tour of Mercedes’ picturesque Siete Pecados (“Seven Sins”) group of islands which comprises Apuao Grande, Apuao Pequeña, Canimog, Canton, Caringo, Malasugui and Quinapaguian Islands. Victor and Aldrin accompanied us on this trip and we brought along snacks and a tandem kayak.  Debbee stayed behind as she had to attend to their float for the festival.  On several occasions, while we were cruising along, we espied hundreds of flying fish doing their aerial acrobatics around our boat.  About 15 mins. into our trip, we passed (but did not land) by the by the crocodile-shaped Canimog Island, the largest of the 7 islands.  The island has a dramatic lighthouse where one can camp, a grayish sand beach and lush foliage which is home to thousands of huge bats.  Its  lighthouse, erected June 26, 1927, is one of the oldest in the Bicol Region.

Rocky Canimog Island and its lighthouse

About 30 mins. out of town, we arrived off the coast of rocky Canton Island. We also didn’t make landfall here as the island has no beach and has minimal vegetation.  However, the island is noted for its underwater Canton Cave. The cave is visible only at low tide and we were hoping that was the case as we planned to do some kayaking all the way to its entrance.  Disappointment was written in our faces as we neared the cave, still at its high tide mark.  Somewhat strong waves here would also have dashed our kayak to the rocks.  Oh well, maybe next time.   We proceeded on our way

Canton Cave

About 15 mins. later, we arrived at small Quinapaguian Island, this time making landfall at its nice stretch of white sand beach. The island offers a good view of the other islands and has a fish sanctuary where one can go snorkeling.  However, we weren’t there for the latter as offloaded the kayak from our boat, donned life vests, boarded the kayak and started paddling its calm, clear, blue waters towards the other side of the island.  This more than made up for our missed opportunity at Canton Island.

Quinapaguian Island
Bernard and I on our kayaking run

Mercedes Municipal Tourism Development Operation Center: Mercedes Fish Port, Mercedes, Camarines Norte.  Tel: (056) 444-1261.  E-mail: discovermercedes@yahoo.com. Website: www.discovermercedes.gov.ph.

Yehliu Geological Park (Keelung City, Taiwan)

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From Chang Chung Park, we next proceeded, down the hill and out of the city proper, to Yehliu Geological Park. Along the way, we passed the remains of the Taiwanese-owned, Panama-registered gravel ship Jui Hsing.  On October 3, 2011, this 155 m. long, 11,500 ton ship, bound for Fujian province in China, ran aground and broke in half, in high seas 185 m. off Dawulun Beach, near Keelung Harbor, during the height of Typhoon Nelgae. Of its 21-man crew, 6 were killed, 4 missing and 11 were rescued.

The beached remains of the Jui Hsing

When we arrived at the Visitor’s Center (Yehliu Nature Center), the parking lot was filled with tourist buses loaded with tourists bound for either Ocean World, Yehliu Geopark or both.  Ocean World, the first marine center in Taiwan for exhibition of ocean evolution, has an undersea sightseeing tunnel where you can observe about 200 rare fish species.  Its 3,500-seat stadium is also the site of excellent shows featuring whales, dolphins and seals doing  diving, ballet on water and other talent shows.

Ocean World

However, we were just here for the Geopark.  Operated by the North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Administration, the park is located on a cape, also known as the Yehliu Promontory, that forms part of the Taliao Miocene Formation.  Stretching approximately 1,700 m. into the sea, it was formed as geological forces pushed Datun Mountain out to the sea. When seen from the air, the place looks like a giant turtle sinking into the sea, thus it is also called “Yehliu Turtle.”

Yehliu Geological Park

Its sandstone seashore is subjected to sea erosion, weathering and earth movements giving rise to a scenery consisting of sea trenches/holes, candle-shaped rocks and pot-shaped rocks. The lunar-like landscape is divided into 3 sections, the first 2 of which were visited by us.  The first section has cleavages, potholes, melting erosion panels and mushroom and ginger rock formations such as the “Ice Cream Rock” and the “Candle.”

The iconic “Queen’s Head”

The second section, similar to the first area but with lesser numbers of mushroom and ginger rock rock formations, is home to the iconic “Queen’s Head”  (the unofficial emblem for the town of Wanli), “Bean Curd” and the “Dragon Head.” Near the coast, rocks here have also developed into 4 different kinds of formations: “Elephant Rock,” the “Fairy’s Shoe,” “Earth Rock” and “Peanut Rock,” special shapes resulting from sea erosion.

“Elephant Rock” Legend has it that a fairy forgot to bring the elephant back when she defeated the turtle elf; as result, the elephant stood there waiting to be taken home, refusing to go ashore.

“Fairy’s Shoe” Legend has it that this one piece of shoe was left accidently by a fairy that came down to earth to tame the naughty turtle elf.

Ginger rock formations

Yehliu Geopark’s distinctive features are the hoodoo stones that dot its surface. These rock formations have been given imaginative names based on their shapes. The most well-known is the iconic “Queen’s Head.”  Other formations include “The Fairy Shoe,” “The Bee Hive,” “The Ginger Rocks” and “The Sea Candles.”

Posing beside the “Japanese Geisha”

The much narrower third section, the wave-cut platform located on the other side of Yehliu, has sea-eroded caves, seal-shaped rock, etc. One side of the platform is adjacent to steep cliffs while, down below, the other side is a scene of torrential waves.  It has several rocks of grotesque shapes and sizes, all a result of sea erosion, including the “24 Filial Piety Hill,” “Pearl Rock” and “Marine Bird Rock.” In addition to the said rock landscapes, the third area also includes the major ecology reserve of Yehliu Geopark.

Statue of Lian Tianzhen overlooking the park

While touring, we also noticed a statue dedicated to Lian Tian Zhen, a local fisherman who, on March 18, 1964,  jumped into the sea to save student Chang Guoquan who fell into the sea by accident. Unfortunately, both of them drowned.

Yehliu Geological Park: No.167-1, Kantung Rd., Yehliu Village, Wanli District, New Taipei City 20744, Taiwan.  Tel: (+886-2) 2492-2016.  Fax: (+886-2) 2492-4519.  Website: http://www.ylgeopark.org.tw.  E-mail: info@ylgeopark.org.tw. Open 8 AM-6 PM. Admission: NT$50 (20% discount for group ticket of 30 people or more).

How to Get There:

From Taipei City, take the Kuo-Kuang Co. express bus bound for Jinshan Youth Activity Center at its West Station A

From Keelung City, take the express bus bound for Jinshan or Tamsui at Keelung station (near Keelung Railway Station)

From Tamshui, take the express bus bound to Jinshan at Tamshui station (near Tamshui MRT Station).

Chung Cheng Park (Keelung City, Taiwan)

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I still had the whole morning for sightseeing on our fourth and last day in Taipei so I availed of the Northern Coast Tour (Keelung City) offered by Edison Travel Service (NT$1,000/pax).  After breakfast at the hotel, Jandy and I, as well as a 69 year old retired USAF serviceman named Gerald and his wife Leona, were picked up at the hotel lobby by our tour guide.  The sun was already up and shining (this after 3 days of rain) when we boarded our van for the 45-min. drive to Keelung City. Nicknamed the “Rainy Port” (due to its frequent rain and maritime role), Keelung City is Taiwan’s second largest seaport (after Kaohsiung).

Keelung City Proper

From the city proper, our van drove up a hill, east of the city, to Chung Cheng Park (derived from Chiang Chung-cheng, a given name of Chiang Kai-shek).  Situated on the side of Ta Sha Wan Shan, atop a hill off Hsieh Road, Chung Cheng Park (also spelled as Jhongjheng Park) was formerly called Kang Park in the past.  The first immigrants to Taiwan used to fight with each other for land. In order to stop these disputes, they set up a temple for yearly worship. During the Japanese occupation, the temple was in Kao Sha Park  and later moved to Chung Cheng Park.

Entrance to Chang Chung Park

There are three levels in the park. On the first level is a historic cannon fort. On the second level is a Buddhist library, Chung Lieh Temple and Chu Pu Tan Temple.  The temple attracts many worshipers on July 15, the Chung Yuan (Hungry Ghost) Festival, when families lights a lamp in front of their door in order to light the way for ghosts at night.

Chang Chung Park

Our destination was the Kuan Hai Pavilion, on the third level. Here, we  had a scenic view of Keelung City, its excellent 2,000 m. long and 400 m. wide harbor (embraced by mountains to its east, west and south); luxury passenger ships; smaller commercial craft; naval and coast guard vessels: and the azure Pacific Ocean.

Naval and commercial ships

Dock facilities

The city proper

Also here is the 22.5 m. (74-ft.) high, white smiling statue of Guan Yin (the Buddhist message of compassion and peace), the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy.  The landmark of Chung Cheng Park, it is the biggest goddess statue in Southeast Asia. Inside the statue, Jandy and I climbed a steep stairway leading to the top. From portholes on the sides, we could take in views of the harbor and the city.

Statue of Guan Yin (Buddhist Goddess of Mercy)

For me, Chung Cheng Park is a combination of a Buddhist holy site and amusement theme park. The grounds by the Guanyin statue are crowded with snack vendors and souvenir shops while toy vehicles for children to ride around on, some of them musical, are offered for rent.

The souvenir shop and children’s rides for rent

Behind the statue is a Buddhist temple. We noticed a  backwards swastika, a Buddhist symbol of peace (as opposed to the forward facing Nazi symbol), on top of a bell tower (you can ring the bell for a NT$50 donation). Further downhill are several 3-storey pagodas, a museum and a martyrs’ shrine. Since this park is near downtown, it is popular with city folk as well as tourists.

The backward swastika symbol

Chung Cheng Park: Keelung City, Taiwan.  Tel: (+886-2) 2428-7664.

How to Get There: take 206 bus and stop at provincial hospital.  The park entrance is on the other side.

Guang Hua Digital Plaza (Taipei City, Taiwan)

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It was raining when we woke up on the third day of our stay in Taipei.  It seems the city was also feeling the effects of Typhoon Ambo (international name: Mawar) which struck the Philippines.  Not really a good day for sightseeing much less photography.  Instead, I decided to just check out the Guang Hua Digital Plaza, just south of Song Jiang Rd..  After breakfast at the hotel, Jandy and I donned our jackets and opted to just walk to the mall. Along the way, we searched for, but did not find, the Miniatures Museum along Jianguo North Rd..

Guang Hua Digital Plaza

Guang Hua Digital Plaza ( also known as the“Taipei Akihabara”), attracting tens of thousands of visitors each day, is an indoor, technological and electronics one-stop shopping paradise located  at the intersection of the Zhongzheng and Daan Districts.  It was established in 1973 as a retailer market, originally using the space beneath the old Guanghua Bridge and just specializing in old books (thus the nickname “old books street”).  Within a decade, however, electronics retailers gained presence in the market and surrounding streets.

The ground floor exhibition area

Due to underground railroad construction in 1992, Guang Hua Market was moved to an underground location at the corner of Bade Rd. and Xinsheng South Rd.. By this time, the area became known for electronics, with many new stores opening, and the establishment of other electronic markets such as the International Electronics Market, Contemporary Life Market and Sanpu Market.

In 2006, due to the demolition of the Guanghua Bridge, Guang Hua Market was moved to a temporary location at the corner of Jinshan North Rd. and Civic Blvd.. The temporary building consisted of 5 warehouse-like halls, providing a total of 196 retail stores. Not soon after the market moved into its temporary location, construction began on the current six-story Guang Hua Digital Plaza building, which has been its current location since July 2008.

The lone sporting goods store

Today, the purpose-built Guang Hua Digital Plaza building consists of 6 floors and a basement. The first floor houses an exhibition space for new electronic products and a food court. The second and third floors are the new locations for the 196 vendors of the original Guang Hua Market while the fourth and fifth floors are the new locations for the vendors of Xining Guozhai Electronics Market. The sixth floor is reserved for repair shops, education classes and offices while the basement floor is for parking.

A camera store

Even with the rain outside, the building was pulsating with a steady stream of IT gadget lovers fervently shopping for the latest desktop computers, laptops, digital cameras, mobile phones, electronic accessories and parts and related gadgets and peripherals, many of which are Taiwan-made, at this sprawling mess of shops selling everything electronic.  There’s  also a lone sporting goods store and stores selling VCDs and DVDs (mostly Taiwanese or Chinese titles).

A store selling VCDs and DVDs

However, checking out their prices, they still can’t match prices in Hong Kong but they could compete with European and U.S. prices.  My problem here, especially when you need to techno-speak, was that most of the vendors don’t speak or only speak a little English.  The foreign tourists I saw shopping here were accompanied by their English-speaking guides.  I had no such luxury.  Oh well, maybe next time.  We returned to the Gala Hotel the same way we came to Guang Hua – by walking.  We made a stopover at a MacDonald’s outlet for a take-out lunch of burgers then backtracked to our hotel.

Guang Hua Digital Plaza: 8 Civic Blvd., Section 3 (between Jinshan and Xinsheng Rds.), Taipei City, Taiwan.  Tel: (+886-2) 2391-7105 and (+886-2) 2341-2202. Open daily, 10 AM-9 PM (closed on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month). Website：www.guanghuamall.com.tw.

How to Get There: take the Bannan Line to Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station, Gate G1, and then walk for around 10-15 mins.

Hwahsi Tourist Night Market (Taipei City, Taiwan)

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From Longshan Temple, Jandy, Isha and I walked, a few streets away, to a nearby night market to do some souvenir shopping.  A well-lit Chinese-style arch pointed us to an excellent night market divided into two segments. We went to the part of the market with the roof called Snake Alley a.k.a. the Hwahsi Street Tourist Night Market, said to be the oldest night market in Taipei. The surrounding area is the local market. Night markets are listed among Taiwan’s most popular tourist spots.

Gateway to Hwahsi Tourist Night Market

The “Tourist” in the official name is something of a misnomer as the market is a bit overrated and can be a bit creepy, if you are not into snakes or exotic foods.  One store had one of these huge writhing, white and yellow serpents at their shopfront (the snake handler cum store owner, however, didn’t allow me to take pictures).  Snake meat, according to traditional Chinese lore, have health (and libido) enhancing properties (something to do with this reptile’s impressive length).  Before its conversion into a night market, Snake Alley used to be notorious for its prostitution (banned since the 1990’s).

Its no surprise that snake meat (and snake blood, bile or sperm is mixed with a local liquor called gao liang) is served up as dinner at rows of eateries within the market. These eateries also serve red bean soup, Taiwanese-style muah chee, danzi noodles (also called tan tsai noodles), thick cuttlefish soup, eel noodles, shrimp in wine, grilled Taiwanese sausages, etc. There are also eateries serving even more unusual and “special” (and controversial) turtle meat and soup, stir-fried mouse as well as crocodile meat. Truly a place for people who live by the motto “I’ll try anything at least once.”  It just so happen that we weren’t one of those people.

Apart from the eateries, the night market is actually just one row of shops selling bags, cheap watches, hats, DVD and VCD movies, and souvenir items such as fans, place mats, key chains, Buddha figurines,brass sculptures,  jade amulets, etc.  Isha bought some these souvenir items as gifts for friends back home.  I bought a number of brass key chains.  There were also shops selling sex toys as well as kinky key chains (some were smaller, brass key chain versions of the wooden Ifugao barrel man, a man in a barrel which, when lifted, triggers a spring that releases a penis).  There were also a number of legitimate massage parlors (offering foot, half body or whole body massages) and stores where artists sell their paintings.

Kinky brass key chains

Having finished our souvenir shopping, we took a taxi and dropped off at the first MacDonald’s outlet we saw.  After another burger dinner here, we all boarded another taxi, dropping off Isha at her hotel before proceeding to the Gala Hotel.  It was now very late in the evening and, quite tired from a fruitful day of sightseeing and shopping, decided to call it a night.

Hwahsi Street Tourist Night Market: Hwahsi St., Wanghwa District, Taipei, Taiwan. Tel: (+886-2) 2336-9781. Open daily, 7 PM-2 AM.

How to Get There: from Taipei Main Station on the Blue Line, go two stops west to the Longshan Temple MRT. Come out  Exit 1 and take a right.

Mengjia Longshan Temple (Taipei City, Taiwan)

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From Taipei 101, Jandy, Isha and I again walked to the Taipei City Hall MRT Station where we boarded the MRT to Longshan MRT Station.  It was just about dusk when we arrived at the station.  Before exiting, we all bought cups of coffee for take out and, upon exiting, leisurely sipped it while watching a Chinese dance being performed, beside the fountain, at Manka Park.

Gateway of Mengjia Longshan Temple

After finishing our coffee, we all walked over to the Mengjia Longshan (also spelled as Lungshan) Temple in front of the park, one of Taiwan’s most important places of worship.  Surrounding the temple are antique shops, Buddhists article shops, fortune tellers, traditional Chinese medicine shops and paper stores selling paper products that are burned for the deceased.

Waterfall of Cleaning Your Heart

Built in 1738 (during the Qing Dynasty), on a much smaller scale, as the spiritual center of Han settlers from the Jinjiang, Nan’an and Hui’an districts of Quanzhou County, Fujian, China, the temple has been destroyed, either in full or in part, by numerous earthquakes and fires. Nevertheless, Taipei residents have consistently rebuilt and renovated it. From 1919-1924, it was renovated, in large scale,  under the direction of famous architect Wang Yi-shun, a master of temple building in Fukien.

The Fore (or Front) Hall

On June 8, 1945, during World War II,  it was hit by American bombers, who claimed that the Japanese were hiding armaments inside. The whole main hall and a part of the right annex were damaged and many precious artifacts and artworks were lost in the ensuing fire. The fire somehow  missed the statue of Avalokiteshvara (in Sanskrit) or Guanyin (short for Guanshiyin which means “observing the sounds of the world”), the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy (only her toes were singed), even though the iron railing around her melted.  After the end of the war, a few months later, the temple was again rebuilt.

The main deity Guanyin with 2 bodhisattvas (Manjusri at the left and Samantabhadra on the right)

On August 19, 1985, Longshan Temple was designated as Taipei City’s fourth official historical site (after the Chang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, National Palace Museum and Taipei 101). The temple, one of the oldest and largest in Taiwan, has also been declared a Secondary National Heritage Site.

The temple courtyard packed with worshipers

We entered the temple’s gateway and, at the courtyard, noticed a small, man-made waterfall (the Waterfall of Cleaning Your Heart)  on one side and a lucky dragon fountain on the other.  The temple was already packed with locals either praying, reciting religious chants, lighting candles or burning incense sticks. They worship a  mixture of Buddhist, Taoist and folk deities such as Guanyin (also called Kuan-in), the main deity, Buddha, Matsu and other divine spirits. Thus, it is often called “meeting place of the gods” for the wealth of deities worshipped here. We didn’t see any Western tourists.

A bronze dragon pillar, the only one of its kind in Taiwan

The resplendent Longshan Temple,  with southern Chinese influences commonly seen in older buildings, is an emblematic example of Taiwanese Classical architecture.  Facing the south and mixing traditional Chinese siheyuan (“four-building courtyard”) with palace architecture in its design, it has a fore hall, main hall, a rear hall (added around the end of the 18th century) and a left and right wing.

Yuan Tung Grand Hall, the main hall

The Yuan-Tung Grand Hall, the main hall, is the center of the whole complex.  It houses the statue of Guanyin. The rear hall is divided into 3 parts.  The center is for the veneration of Matsu, the goddess of marine voyage, the left is dedicated to the gods of literature (or patrons of examination for civil service in the olden days) and the right is for Lord Kuan, the god of war.

The Rear Hall

The octagonal ceiling in its fore hall, the clock tower roof, and the circular ceiling (with its 7-layered spiral plafond) in the main hall are exceptionally elegant.  Its doors, beams and poles are also beautifully decorated.

Exquisite and elaborate carvings

A treasure trove of folk art, its fore hall is graced by a pair of unique bronze dragon pillars while the main hall has four pairs.  The walls and ceilings are covered by exquisitely delicate sculptures as well as many Chinese poems, verses and lyrics on signs, adding a touch of literature. The temple walls are graced with paintings of vivid creatures while stone statues of mystical creatures guard the temple grounds.  The wall and the roof  are joined without the use any nails or braces made of metal.

A phoenix figure on roof edge

The temple roof, representing the pinnacle of mosaic art in Taiwan, is covered with overlapping tiles and is decorated with figures of dragons, phoenixes and other auspicious creatures, all decorated with porcelain, clay, and shards of colored glass.

Drum Tower (West)

Bell Tower (East)

Two 2-storey buildings, one housing the bell on the east and a drum on the west side of the courtyard, between the fore hall and the main hall, have conic, hexagonal roofs with double eaves that forms a converse “S” curve, the first such roof design in Taiwan.

Mengjia Longshan Temple: 211 Guangzhou St., Old Town Center, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan.  Tel: (+886-2) 2302-5162. Website: http://www.lungshan.org.tw. Open daily, 6 AM-10:20 PM. Admission is free.