# A Lucky Night at Longshan Temple in Taipei > Thousands of lit incense sticks wrap the temple in smoke on the night of the new moon. Discover what Longshan Temple in Taipei is all about and why people come here seeking good fortune. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/shchaslyva-nich-u-lunshan-khram-v-taybeyi/ - Language: en - Published: 2022-11-06 - Categories: Culture, Historic Sites, Leisure, Tours, Taiwan, Events --- Taipei, Taiwan - The sweet scent of a thousand sticks of hot incense curls into reverent clouds of smoke on this lucky night of the new moon. We are inside Taipei's oldest temple, Bangka Longshan Temple, deeply immersed in the history and traditions of this chaotic, modern city in Taiwan. On the first and 15th night of every lunar month, Buddhists, Taoists and devotees of the ancient sea goddess Mazu gather here to pray, to bring food and flowers, and to share the wonders of their beliefs. It has happened this way twice a month, nearly every month, for almost 300 years. Immigrants from the Chinese province of Fujian built this richly decorated temple in 1738, during the Qing dynasty. It has been damaged by earthquakes, storms and war, yet rebuilt again and again. It is exquisite. Here is what you can expect on a trip here: ## Inside the temple ![](/storage/image/prev/july-article-35-1-1024x685.jpg) Like many temples in East Asia, it has three ornate gates, one set inside another. In the first courtyard stands a waterfall, a place of ablution that recalls the wells beside mosques, the baptismal waters of Christianity and an even more ancient spring for washing beside the great Greek temple of Apollo at Delphi. Carved, richly painted dragons guard the entrances. Inside the main chamber, a burst of vivid color. Today people have gathered here, hundreds of them, from every walk of life and every class of this society. They hold incense between clasped hands, or with open palms pressed together before their chest or to their forehead, turning to face the altar or a richly decorated table, bowing and praying. When they finish praying, they place the incense in enormous golden urns, many of them adorned with religious figures. Some light bright candles on massive candelabra. The ceilings are lavishly decorated in gold. Tablets bearing ancient poetry hang on the walls. Long tables are laden with food, later eaten by those who brought it, so they may take in the blessings they consumed. Everywhere there are flowers, thousands of flowers. Just outside, the streets of Taipei teem with life: the bustle of the Longshan Temple metro station, the chaotic flavors of the Huaxi night market, the strange sights of Snake Alley, the overwhelming crowds and commerce of the Ximending shopping district. Beyond the horizon, missiles from the mainland, said by rumor to number in the hundreds, would arrive in just seven minutes. But inside Bangka Longshan Temple, all of that disappears. For the hundreds of worshippers gathered here, for these few minutes, on this night of luck and wonder, there is only the Way, a reverent calm and a connection to history that stays with the visitor long after dawn the next morning. ## How to get there Location: No. 211 Guangzhou Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City Hours: 6:00 a.m. to 10:20 p.m. Admission: Free How to get there: Driving Taipei's winding streets is not for the faint of heart, and parking can be a headache. Instead, take the MRT (metro) to Longshan Temple station. The temple is right across the road. Alternatively, you can ride the metro to Wanhua station. The temple is about four blocks to the north: 211 Guangzhou Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City.