Zhinan Temple, Taipei木栅指南宫
- Type
- Temples and Abbeys (Gongguan)
- Location
- Taiwan, China · Taiwan · Wenshan District, Taipei · No. 115 Wanshou Road, Zhinan Village, at the foot of Mount Zhinan, at an elevation of about 285 meters
- Coordinates
- 24.9792, 121.5869 Map ↗
- School
- Daoism in Taiwan
- First built
- 1890 (16th year of the Guangxu reign of Qing) · In 1882, Wang Binlin, Assistant Magistrate of Mengjia, brought Lüzu to Taiwan through a division of incense from Yongle Palace in Shanxi; in 1890 Zhang Tongshe and others donated land to build the temple at Houshankeng; the main hall was rebuilt between 1991 and 1998
Overview
Zhinan Temple, popularly known as the Immortal Lord's Temple (Xiangong Miao), is dedicated mainly to Sovereign Lord Fuyou, Lü Dongbin, and is the most famous place of Lü Dongbin worship in Taiwan. In 1882, Wang Binlin, Assistant Magistrate of Mengjia, brought a statue of Lüzu to Taiwan through a division of incense from Yongle Palace in Shanxi; because the deity repeatedly proved efficacious during epidemics in the Jingwei area, land was donated in 1890 by Zhang Tongshe and others to build a temple. The temple's name draws on two meanings: that 'Benefactor Lü dwells in the Southern Palace of the celestial court,' and that 'saving the world and delivering the people requires a compass (zhinan) to guide the way.' The main hall bears a plaque reading 'the Foremost Numinous Mountain under Heaven.' The temple grounds cover nearly eighty hectares, rising in tiers up the slope of Mount Zhinan; besides the Chunyang Precious Hall (dedicated to Lüzu), the Lingxiao Precious Hall (dedicated to the Three Pure Ones and the Jade Emperor) was completed in 1966, and there are also the Mahavira Hall (the Three Treasure Buddhas), the Dacheng Hall (Confucius), and the Dizang Precious Hall, forming a layout in which the Three Teachings are jointly venerated. Over 1,200 stone steps lead from the foot of the mountain to the temple, and a cable car now also provides access. In 1998 the temple held a Great Offering to All Heavens for National Protection and Peace, and in 2024 it established the Chinese Institute for Advanced Daoist Studies. A popular legend holds that couples who visit together are likely to break up — a modern urban legend which the temple has consistently sought to correct. The temple buildings are not registered as cultural heritage assets.
Highlights
- The Chunyang Precious Hall and the 'Foremost Numinous Mountain under Heaven' plaque
- The Lingxiao Precious Hall (1966)
- Over 1,200 stone pilgrimage steps
- The 1998 Great Offering to All Heavens