Taipei's temples are working places of worship, open from early morning and usually close to an MRT station. These five give you the range: Buddhist and folk religion at Longshan, a medicine god at Bao'an, scholars at the Confucius Temple, a matchmaker at Xiahai, and a temple that has given up incense altogether at Xingtian.
| Temple | Hours | MRT |
|---|---|---|
| Longshan Temple | 06:00 to 22:00 | Longshan Temple (BL10) |
| Bao'an Temple | 06:30 to 22:00 | Yuanshan (R14) |
| Confucius Temple | Tue to Sun 08:30 to 21:00 | Yuanshan (R14) |
| Xiahai City God Temple | 06:16 to 19:47 | Beimen (G13), Daqiaotou (O12) |
| Xingtian Temple | 04:00 to 21:00 | Xingtian Temple (O09) |
Good to know: speak softly, keep out of the way of people praying, and ask before photographing anyone up close. You are welcome to watch, and to light incense yourself where it is used.
Longshan Temple
Longshan Temple (艋舺龍山寺) is the one to see if you see one. Founded in 1738 in Wanhua, rebuilt in the 1920s with some of Taiwan's finest temple carving, and busy with worshippers from six in the morning. → Our Longshan Temple guide
Dalongdong Bao'an Temple
Bao'an Temple (大龍峒保安宮) is dedicated to Baosheng Dadi (保生大帝), the Great Emperor Who Protects Life, a god of medicine. It was built by settlers from Tong'an in Fujian, and the name also reads as "Blessed Tong'an". After many renovations it now has three wings and is a national heritage site: a lovely, usually calmer alternative to Longshan.
- Hours 06:30 to 22:00 daily
- Address No. 61, Hami St., Datong District
- MRT Yuanshan Station (Red Line, R14), Exit 2: the temple says about 15 minutes on foot via Kulun Street and Dalong Street
Taipei Confucius Temple
A short walk from Bao'an, the Taipei Confucius Temple (臺北市孔廟) is quiet, spacious and very different in feel: no bright folk-religion clutter, just calm courtyards, a half-moon pond and halls honouring Confucius and his followers. It is free, and good for a slow half hour.
- Hours Tuesday to Sunday (including public holidays) 08:30 to 21:00; closed Mondays
- Entry Free
- Address No. 275, Dalong St., Datong District
- MRT Yuanshan Station (Red Line, R14)
Xiahai City God Temple
The small Xiahai City God Temple (台北霞海城隍廟) on Dihua Street punches far above its size. Built between 1856 and 1859 by settlers from Tong'an, it houses the City God and some 600 other statues in a tiny space. Most visitors come for the Old Man Under the Moon (月老), the matchmaker god: singles pray for a good match, and couples come back to give thanks. Every year the temple holds the City God's birthday procession through Dadaocheng.
- Hours 06:16 to 19:47 daily, as Taipei's tourism office lists them
- Address No. 61, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Datong District
- MRT Beimen Station (Green Line, G13) or Daqiaotou Station (Orange Line, O12)
It sits in the middle of Dihua Street's old shophouses, so make a walk of it. → Dadaocheng and Dihua Street
Xingtian Temple
Xingtian Temple (行天宮), also called Hsing Tian Kong, is one of the most visited temples in northern Taiwan and unlike any other here. It is dedicated mainly to Guan Gong (關聖帝君), the god of war and loyalty, and since 2014 it has removed its incense burners and offering tables, asking people to pray with their hands and hearts. There is no paper money burning, no donation box, no opera and no selling. Worshippers come daily to draw divination lots and take part in the shoujing (收驚), a spiritual cleansing ritual.
- Hours 04:00 to 21:00 daily
- Entry Free
- Address No. 109, Sec. 2, Minquan E. Rd., Zhongshan District
- MRT Xingtian Temple Station (Orange Line, O09)
Bao'an Temple and the Confucius Temple sit side by side near Yuanshan, so see them together, maybe with the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, also by Yuanshan Station. Up in the Maokong hills, Zhinan Temple is an easy add-on to a gondola ride. → Maokong Gondola · Museums · Things to do
Temple life runs even deeper down south. Tainan, Taiwan's oldest city, is known as the city of a thousand shrines, and Inside Tainan covers its great temples and explains the incense, the offerings and the divination blocks you will also see in Taipei. → Tainan's temples · Temple culture, explained
Sources
Longshan Temple from the temple's chronology and Taipei Travel. Bao'an Temple's MRT directions and address from the temple's own site; its hours and background from Taipei Travel. Confucius Temple hours and entry from the Taipei Confucius Temple Governing Board. Xiahai City God Temple history from the temple's English page, and its hours, statue count and MRT from Taipei Travel. Xingtian Temple hours and practices from Hsing Tian Kong and the 2014 change from Taipei Travel. Checked October 2026.