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1. LONGSHAN TEMPLE
Background: According to tradition, the Longshan Temple of Taipei was established in 1738 after a merchant from Quanzhou in Fujian Province stopped to urinate and left his sacred, protective incense pouch nearby. Locals found the pouch with a glowing light emanating from it. Inside there was an inscription referencing the Longshang Temple in Fujian Province (7th c.). To mark this find, the Longshan Temple of Taipei was constructed as a replica of the 7th century Longshan Temple in the Fuijian province. Over the years, the temple has gone through various iterations and re-buildings and is a center of folk worship for various gods and goddesses, as well as Buddhism.
Fact 1: The temple offers various forms of divination. They have divining blocks as well as drawing lots.
Fact 2: The temple's main deity, Guanyin, the Goddes of Mercy, is known as a local protector. In 1815, it is said that the statue survived an earthquake. In 1885, local militia used the Temple on their banners in their fight againt the French. Finally, during WWII the temple was bombed; however, even though the main hall of the temple was destroyed, the statue of the temple's main deity, Guanyin, survived completely intact.
2. XIAHAI CITY GOD TEMPLE
Background: Built in 1850, the Xiahai City God Temple is one of the city’s main religious areas and a social center. It looks much the same as it did in the latter 1800s. It also has a Martyrs’ Memorial Hall set up in memory of 38 young men slain protecting the sacred image during an 1853 clash.
Fact 1: Resident priests believe the temple has brought prosperity to the community and therefore, they don’t want to makes changes the temple so as to keep the fengshui.
3. BAOAN TEMPLE
Background: The temple’s main deity is Baosheng Dadi, the God of Medicine, a real-life figure and legendary physician from the Song dynasty, born in Fujian Province. Although the current building was begun in1805, earlier temple structures were established by Han immigrants beginning in the 1700s. Like the Longsham Temple, the “root” temple is from Quanzhou, Fujian Province.
4. TAIPEI CONFUCIUS TEMPLE
Background: Across from the Baoan Temple is the Confucius Temple modeled after the original Confucius Templein Qufu, ShangdonProvince.
Fact 1: The Temple holds a 4D Theater with snow and wind(!) that discusses the Confucian philosophical system and Chinese culture.
5. CHAING KAI-SHEK MEMORIAL HALL(ok, not a temple…)
Background: Began in 1976 and completed in 1980, the Memorial Hallis a national monument built to honor Chiang Kai-shek. It is flanked by a national theater, national concert hall, various gates, and a square, which is used as a central location for large gatherings and state displays such as the changing of the guard.
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Link 1: Religion, Protective Deities, Folk Traditions.The Longshan Temple and Xiahai Temple could be compared to various sites that have protective deities for cities/locations. For teachers who cover the Middle Ages, this could be linked to pilgrimage sites, but also, for example, to someone like St. George who is the patron saint of England. For my students in Thessaloniki, Greece it correlates almost exactly with the city church of St. Demetrius.
Link 2: Trade, Cultural Diffusion, and Diversity. The Longshan and BaoanTemples are examples of the spread of various religious traditions, and how some places become center points for cultural diversity—Buddhism and local gods—with Fuijian temple building. Moreover, temples become centers not only of religious life, but also of social life with markets, government, etc. One could again compare (and contrast) these temples to the Monasteries of the Middle Ages.
Link 3:Immigration, origination, and Cultural Diffusion. Still thinking.
Link 4: Temples and Education. Temples as centers of Education, comparing Middle Ages with Monasteries and Church schools. Role of Temples/Churches as education centers that establish Confucian and Catholic social belief.
