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(Taipei) Longshan Temple One Day Tour

2010/1/11
Do you need a romantic encounter or a steady relationship? Come to Longshan Temple.

Longshan Temple is one of the four most popular Taipei attractions for foreign tourists (other three are Taipei 101, National Palace Museum, and Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall). Situated in Wanhua District, the Longshan Temple is the Tier Two historical building built in 1738.

The temple is well-known for praying and matchmaking. A god called “Old Man Under the Moon” is believed that he uses a red thread to tie a man and a woman together, and makes them a perfect couple. Many single ones come here to ask for a thread which will bring them to their right one. One will join his/her palms, pray for a string, and throw a pair of half moon-shaped red-painted wooden pieces. If the one out of three results is “one up one down”, then the god says “yes” and allows one to get a red thread. One may also ask questions to other gods by using the wooden pieces. In addition, there are many food stalls near the MRT Longshan Temple Station, so you may buy some local foods as souvenirs.

After visiting the temple, you may turn left to visit the Bopiliao Old Street a block away. The old street has kept its looks during 1644 to late 1960s. you will see the old documents and advertisements, as well as an old-fashioned taxi, houses, machineries, maps, stalls, and stores. It is worth a visit to explore the street and to see the historical relics. The open hours of the Bopiliao Old Street are 10:00 - 17:00 (Sun. to Thur.) and 10:00 - 19:00 (Fri. Sat.)

You may continue your journey by walking straight towards Longshan Temple to the famous Huaxi Street Night Market, well-known as the Snake Alley. Before you reach to the Huaxi Street Night Market, there are already many food stalls on both sides of the road. However, the snake restaurants are all in the night market. The length of this night market is about one hundred and fifty meters; it is divided to two parts by the Guiling Road. The first part is the snake alley, and the second part is the seafood alley.

One of the snake restaurants displays two huge Burmese Pythons in a big glass case. If you come to Huaxi Street during weekend, you might see the restaurant owner feeding pythons with bunnies in front of people. Eating snakes is believed to have skin benefits, many female visitors are allured  to enjoy snack cuisines. The snake soup is clear without any oil. You may try this rare and special soup when you come to Huaxi Street Night Market.

After dinner, you may take MRT to Ximending for sightseeing and shopping. Ximending is a popular place which mainly attracts younger generation. The cloth and accessories there are fashionable and trendy. You may end your one day tour at Ximending and enjoy the bargain hunting!

Our recommended nearby hotels are Taipei Garden Hotel, Good Ground Hotel, Keyman's Hotel, and Many Flower Business Hotel.