Excess of Temples
The small island is filled with temples. The primary religion is a mix of Buddism and Taoism, but most other religions have found themselves here. These places of worship aren’t just humble, old broken buildings where one goes to pry and clear thir minds. Some temples are so rich; they are gargantuan in size, immensely detailed features decorate the architecture and many of them centuries old.
Chung Tai Monastery, you could see it from kilometres away as you approach it in the small country winding roads. Only built in 2001, the scale is breath taking; it was the tallest Buddist temple in the world for a couple of years. The monastery is one of the most important one on the island, not only in religious sense, but political as well. The campus includes various Halls and quarters, monks, accommodation for the pilgrims, restaurant, and its own museum! The museum has a huge collection of thousands of statues of deities in stone, wood or copper sculptures, some of which dates to hundreds of years BC. It’s even got its own website
One of the four guardians in the main hall, it’s about 5 stores tall. The Budda is of course, more impressive still.
This is one of the oldest temples in Taiwan. It’s been there for at least 300 years when the first settlers founded the port-side city. One of my uncles grew up around the town and gave me a nice tour of it. The rich details of the architecture showcase the arts of Chinese sculpture and masonry. It is treasured and protected as a heritage site now.
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