The Chihnan Temple, Taipei is situated at Muzhain Taipei, Taiwan. The Chihnan Temple, Taipei is a traditional Taoist temple. The temple was built in the year 1890. The main deity worshipped in this temple is Lu Dongbin, who was one of the Eight Immortal Chinese Deities.
The Eight Immortals are a group of legendary fairies of the Chinese mythology. They are said to have the power to give life and destroy the evil. They are very eminent elements of the Chinese culture and tradition and are greatly honored by the Taoists.
Lu Dongbin is the most important among the Eight Immortals as he is known to be the leader of this group of deity. It is said that he was born during the rule of the Tang Dynasty. In his images he is mostly seen to be dressed as a scholar and often has a sword on his back that is believed to be the weapon to eradicate the evil.
The Chihnan Temple is one of the popular tourist attractions in Taipei and is called the 'Temple of a Thousand Steps". As the title suggests, the temple has 1,200 stone steps and tourists and believers have to climb up these steps to recah the main shrine. There is a saying that one who climbs the steps, gets an extra 20 seconds per step added to his life span. So it is more than six hours you can earn by climbing all the steps of the temple.
The temple is on the Monkey Mountain in Taipei. One, who is unable to reach the steps can also follow a paved road to reach the temple. The stone steps, is although going to provide a different experience altogether. The steps are laid by stone lanterns, donated by the devotees. After each 100 steps, there is a landing for the climbers to take rest.
The temple is so big that it looks like a palace. It is a combination of the Taoist, the Buddhist and the Confucian worshiping place. There are three halls in the temple adorned with artistic sculptures. The halls are separated by corridors and gardens.
The temple is one of the beautiful spots of sightseeing in Taipei. Once you are up on the mountain , you can have the fascinating view of the city. There are some other temples in close proximity to the Chihnan Temple in Taipei. All of them look grand. It is actually a place where one can spend long times sitting and watching the crowd and enjoying the natural beauty. The temple is also the focal point of a network of hiking and biking trails. Almost every point of Muzha is visible from the temple.
You can take the 530 bus from Gongguan and head directly to the temple. Now there is also the option of availing the Maokong Cable Car, which is in operation from July 4, 2007. It connects to the Muzha line of the Mass Rapid Transit ( MRT ).
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