I took a Chinese visitor to Hong Kong to see some of the local temple culture on a temple run day. We started at the quiet and beautiful Nan Lian gardens and Chu Lin Nunnery near Diamond Hill, continues to
Engakuji Temple : Kamakura Japan
One of the largest Zen Buddhist temples in Japan and situated in a gorgeous forested area in the lovely Kamakura, a day trip from Tokyo, is the Engaku-ji Temple. The temple dates back to the 13th century and is a
Great Buddha Kotokuin Temple : Kamakura Japan
Continuing the temple tour of the magical Kamakura area, a daytrip from Tokyo, is Japan’s second tallest Buddha statue at the Kotoku-in Temple. A somewhat humble temple compared to others in the area (e.g. Hasedera or Tsurugaoka Hachimangu), it still
Xishiku Church of the Saviour Cathedral : Beijing
To my surprise, Beijing has a bit of a religious diversity. I wasn’t expecting to find anything other than Daoist, Buddhist or Confucian temples, but it turns out the colonial powers have managed to infiltrate in and somehow survive communism.
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine : Kamakora Japan
Kamakora, a daytrip away from Tokyo, is a magical town filled with temples and shrines. Of all the shrines in the city the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is said to be the most important Shinto shrine, dating back to the 11th
Treasure Hill Temple : Taipei
Next to the newly renovated Treasure Hill – a military neighborhood turned artist village – lies an old temple dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy – Guan Yin (觀音). This temple dates back almost 300 years, and is well worth
Museum of World Religions : Taipei
If the Puppetry Museum and the Museum of Drinking Water didn’t convince you there are lots of great little museums across Taipei, perhaps this one will – the Museum of World Religions. In my last visit to Taipei I made
Jing’an Temple : Shanghai
There are a number of temples around Shanghai worth visiting (City God Temple, Confucius Temple, etc.), but Jing An Temple is probably among the oldest of those. Allegedly dating back almost 1800 years, "only" 800 years in the current location,
Nanputuo Temple : Xiamen
Next to Xiamen University, considered one of the must-visit attractions of Xiamen, is the Nanputuo Temple – said to date back as far as Tang Dynasty (7th century). Though I’ve seen my fair share of temples, this one’s quite
Zhi Nan Temple : Taipei
Up the monkey mountains of Muzha (Houshan, 猴山) on the terrific Maokong Gondola is one of Taipei’s prime temples – Chi Nan Temple – offering superb views of southern Taipei City combined with the cultural atmosphere of the local religions.
