Goddess Guanyin Birthday Celebrations-Longshan Temple Taipei – Far East Adventure Travel

Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy is revered and worshipped throughout East Asia. In Taiwan, Guanyin is the main deity of temples across the island.

Longshan Temple in Tapei is no exception with Guanyin taking center stage, that is center of the main hall. Longshan was originally constructed as a Buddhist temple but over the course of it’s history many other deities were added to eventually transform the center of worship in Taipei to multi-denominational. A mix of Buddhism, Taoism, and folk Gods. A style of worship that permeates the island.

Longshan’s own Guanyin story belongs in the book of religious miracles. It was June 8th 1945 and allied forces bombed the Longshan Temple, suspecting the Japanese were using it as a cache for armaments. The whole main hall and right annex were burned out but the statue of Guanyin remained intact.

I visited the temple on the recent celebration of Guanyin’s birthday to find the Longshan complex and surrounding area buzzing with excitement and joy for this much beloved bodhisattva.

Read more about Guanyin:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanyin