The Kuantu Temple, Taipei is one of the attractive tourist attractions in Taipei. Kuantu Temple, Taipei is located on the delta of Tamshui River in Kuanto, which lies to the north of the Taiwan city. It is a 17th century Taoist temple dedicated to the Goddess Matsu, the protector of Sea farers. At present Matsu is the most worshiped deity of Taiwan and a number of temples in the country are dedicated to her.
It is on the outskirts of the Tamsui province. There is a tunnel at the entrance of the temple. It is a great thrill to travel through the long dark tunnel to reach the temple. At the end of the tunnel there is a statue of Matsu sitting high above the river bank. The place consists of some walking tracts, which lead to the top of the mountain where there is a mountain park and overlooking the surrounding areas. It is one of the oldest and most active temples in Taipei.
The temple was founded in the year 1661. The original name of the temple was ' Lingshan' Temple, as it is located at the top of Mt. Ling. There are various legends guarding this place and one of the most popular is that, in 1895 three banyan trees died suddenly on the same night and the sign was believed to be the warning of Goddess Matsu.
There are several stories about Matsu. It is said that, she was born in a fisherman's family in the Fujian Province of China during the rule of the Sung dynasty and was known as Lin Mo- niang. Since childhood, she was a genius and possessed supernatural powers. She had marked ability to calm the sea storms as a result of which she rescued sailors time and again. She also cured the sick with her vast knowledge of Chinese medicine.
At the age of 28, Matsu got a call from heaven and so she left her parents and went to the top of a mountain near her home. From there she was carried to the heaven encircled in clouds within a golden glow and with an enchanting heavenly music playing at the background.
The Kuantu Temple in Taipei is also popular for another aspect. Two of the natural reserves of Taiwan are located at the proximity of the temple. One of them is the Kuantu Nature Preserve and another is Tamsui River Mangrove Preserve. The Kuantu Wetland is a bird watcher's paradise in northern Taiwan. More than 100 species of birds, among which about two third is migratory, can be seen in the wetland region. The Wild Bird Society of Taipei often holds excursions to this marshy lowland, the permanent home or temporary stops for various birds.
Kuantu lies next to Peitou cuddled up between Tamsui and the sea, at the delta of the Tamsui River on the backslopes of the Yangmingshan. It it the next to last stop of the Tamsui line of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT). The walking distance of the temple is about a kilometer from the station
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