Taipei's Wanhua District is a must-visit!
📍I first learned about Wanhua from the movie "Monga" starring Ethan Juan and Mark Chao. I didn't know there was such a fascinating place in Taipei.
🚤Monga originally referred to a small boat, and later came to refer to a place where small boats gathered, which is very fitting for this place's history.
🎊Wanhua is an ancient community in Taipei's Wanhua District and the starting point of Taipei's development. Monga was originally a settlement for indigenous people, but during the Qing Dynasty, it became more prosperous and lively with the increase of Han immigrants. It later experienced the Japanese colonial period and the rise of gangs from other provinces, which added to its mystique.
👉I couldn't wait to visit Longshan Temple in Monga and was lucky enough to meet the owner of Liangfenbo, the most famous dessert shop in Wanhua, who gave me a deeper understanding of the neighborhood. Without her, I might have just visited Longshan Temple and left, which would have been a shame!
🎊Recommended attractions:
[One] Longshan Temple
🏯One of the oldest temples in Taiwan, Longshan Temple was built during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty and has witnessed the development and changes of Taipei. The golden dragon at the entrance glows in the sunset. The temple has several halls, and the main deities worshiped include Guanyin, Guan Yu, and Mazu. The temple is always full of worshipers and tourists chanting and drawing lots.
[Two] Qingshan Temple
🎢Just a few hundred meters from Longshan Temple is Qingshan Temple, a third-class national monument that is very important to locals. It is dedicated to the King of Qingshan. The birthday of the King of Qingshan is a grand celebration that attracts many worshipers and tourists. The temple fair includes religious ceremonies, traditional performances, parades, and temple fair food.
[Three] Monga Night Market
🌇Monga Night Market and its surrounding area have many traditional and famous old shops. The squid, stinky tofu, salty porridge, and Guangxi snail noodles are all worth trying.
[Four] Bopiliao: A park built on the site of the old Bopiliao to promote local culture and history. Many of the stories in the movie "Monga" took place in Bopiliao.
[Five] Huajiang Community
🎢The most amazing thing is this circular building at the intersection of Huanhe South Road and Heping West Road. The three-story circular building connects four communities and 16 buildings, with more than 4,000 households. There is a lot of traffic under the overpass, and the long corridor is lined with clothes and flowers. It is said that this building complex was designed by six famous architects in the 1970s, based on the "mixed-use" design concept of Singapore. In addition to housing, there are also various traditional shops and pawnshops, and the large number of stairs create a maze-like effect. It is a popular filming location for commercials, music videos, and movies, especially horror movies.
Situated in a very accessible location in Wanhua District and has a long history in folk temple architecture, making it an easy recommendation for any Taipei excursion.
It's an amazing temple! Near to subway station. The most important thing that there are a lot of beautiful women around the temple :)
Visiting Longshan Temple in Taiwan offers a rich cultural experience. The temple, dating back to 1738, showcases intricate architecture, vibrant religious rituals, and a serene atmosphere. Explore the ornate decorations, witness traditional ceremonies, and immerse yourself in the local history and spirituality. Don't forget to respect the customs and take in the unique blend of Buddhist, Taoist, and folk religious elements at this iconic site.
Very warm caring society, this is the only place that I find it very warmth that's full with local silver and golden ages group of local people, less touristy, cos I can see that the local senior citizens love this place so much that they gathers together here everyday. They are enjoying themselves, playing chess game, chit chatting and etc.. I can see that there are a lot of sharing of stories among each other. Some hidden spot underground which needs to be highlighted, the fortune teller underground zone and artsy area. Worth check it out!!
This is a great place to visit if you are in town and the beat of all is that is free! It is also right next to the subway station. The temple is well preserved and you can see local people praying it is well decorated and a perfect spot for memorable pictures.
Monga, now known as Wanhua, is the birthplace of Taipei City. The construction of Longshan Temple in Mengjia began in 1738 and was completed in 1740. Over the past two hundred years, Longshan Temple has undergone many renovations, and the entire structure is now in the shape of a Chinese character “回”. Longshan Temple faces south and is a palace-style building with three courtyards in the classical Chinese style. It consists of the front hall, main hall, back hall and left and right guard dragons. The front hall has 11 bays, divided into Sanchuan Hall, Longmen Hall and Humen Hall.