Chih Nan Temple (Zhinan Temple)
Chih Nan Temple (Zhinan Temple)
4.4
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- jshtyoAichi Prefecture, Japan15,895 contributionsThere is a ropeway station on the way to Nekou, so I dropped by after sightseeing. Many temples stand with mountains in the background, but it is a famous Taoist temple in Taiwan. Many Buddhas are enshrined in the building, creating a unique atmosphere. It's a big and colorful temple, so it's worth a visit.Visited December 2024Traveled soloWritten December 27, 2024
- danybambiBagolino, Italy7,808 contributionsThe second stop of the Maokong cable car leads to some temples, including this one, going down to the right of the cable car. A truly beautiful and evocative temple, especially seeing it from afar with an overlap of terraces and red roofs that you cannot remain impassive. Free admission. You can take photos. It welcomes Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist rites. To be seen.Visited March 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten April 14, 2024
- XanerinAlice Springs, Australia1,464 contributionsWhat a stunning temple majestically standing in the hill. Beautifully decorated and well worth a visit. You really need some time to appreciate of which we did not have time on our hands with a baby. Still it was enjoyable to see.Visited January 2025Traveled with familyWritten January 29, 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.4
196 reviews
Excellent
97
Very good
77
Average
21
Poor
0
Terrible
1
jenkle89
Hendaye, France416 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
Take the MTR to Taipei Zoo and then the Maokong gondola up the mountain to this beautiful temple. This temple is really spectacular both inside and out and is one of the biggest we visited in Taipei, there are some amazing views from up here too. Definately worth visiting.
Written February 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrew
Arizona7 contributions
Jan 2020
it's one of the oldest temples in Taipei, founded in 1882. And one of the most beautiful for me.
It should be a part of the trip to the Maokong Mountain and is accessible via the Maokong Gondola Zhinan Temple Station. This is a good place to come to escape the city. Inside the temple, you can find your guardian by matching your year of birth with his year of death.Then, you can think of your wish.
It's also a terrific place to enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery around Taipei and the good view at the Taipei 101 (if it's not a foggy day).
It should be a part of the trip to the Maokong Mountain and is accessible via the Maokong Gondola Zhinan Temple Station. This is a good place to come to escape the city. Inside the temple, you can find your guardian by matching your year of birth with his year of death.Then, you can think of your wish.
It's also a terrific place to enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery around Taipei and the good view at the Taipei 101 (if it's not a foggy day).
Written February 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeffry b
Essendon, Australia13,740 contributions
Apr 2022
Chih Nan Temple is one of the oldest and most impressive Taoist temples on the island. It is colloquially known as "the Temple of a Thousand Steps" by foreign residents. Colourfully robed Taoist monks bless offerings brought to them by the faithful. The temple is one of the largest in Taiwan. Taoism is a unique Chinese belief system, where the faithful seek to live in harmony with nature.
Written June 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ave Salvante Jr.
Laguna Province, Philippines368 contributions
Oct 2014 • Friends
A good experience of Chinese religious culture. The temple, built on the mountain slopes is a marvelous display of architecture in itself. This temple is accessible from the cable car's Zhinan station. Just a little walk and you can visit this temple.
Written October 4, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Xaviera A
Managua, Nicaragua21 contributions
Nov 2014 • Friends
This is the 3rd stop in the maokong gondola, and it's definitely worth it. Great view and a really beautiful temple. You can also get here by bus, it's only 10 min from NCCU.
Written January 22, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
backpacker31
Boynton Beach, FL5,957 contributions
Oct 2014
I took the Maokong gondola up en-route to visit the tea plantations and decided to stop for a visit to this temple. This place is huge. I had to stand so far away just to fit the entire complex in my viewing area for my camera. There are several levels full of sub-sanctuaries, beautiful valley/mountain views from the terraces, rooms that looked like something straight out of Las Vegas, etc. There were some very nice people working here who explained some of the history of this temple as well as some information about the surrounding Maokong area. Worth at least an hour's visit.
Written October 3, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Allan152
Monterey159 contributions
Mar 2015 • Solo
A large temple complex high on the hill overlooking Taipei, and well worth a visit. If you can, take the MRT out to the zoo and catch the gondola to Chih Nan Temple. Then you can walk down the 1,000 steps, and catch a bus back into town.
Written March 18, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LeeClaxton .
London1,213 contributions
Feb 2014 • Solo
I have made many arduous climbs in my time, most notably ascending the Stairway to Heaven in Bhutan and conquering Lion’s Rock in Sri Lanka, but in many ways Zhinan Temple here in Taipei was slightly more challenging than either of those, simply because I was not expecting a climb at all! Nobody told me this temple was only reachable after climbing 1200 steps! I guess that is a rare occasion when I did not do my homework enough beforehand.
Anyhow, I actually enjoyed being around Zhinan Temple more than I enjoyed being in Longshan Temple because it felt more remote, and less touristy. This is probably because it is located in the outskirts of Taipei – on Monkey Mountain – and can be visited after a ride on the nearby Maokong Gondola. Zhinan Temple is also the first Taoist place of worship that I have ever visited.
It is said that if unmarried couples visit Zhinan then fate will have it that they split up. This is in part due to the main deity of the temple, Lu Dongbin, being something of a womaniser and is capable of seducing single mortal women even in the afterlife! Charming! Regardless of its legend, one thing everybody loves about Zhinan is its architecture!
Anyhow, I actually enjoyed being around Zhinan Temple more than I enjoyed being in Longshan Temple because it felt more remote, and less touristy. This is probably because it is located in the outskirts of Taipei – on Monkey Mountain – and can be visited after a ride on the nearby Maokong Gondola. Zhinan Temple is also the first Taoist place of worship that I have ever visited.
It is said that if unmarried couples visit Zhinan then fate will have it that they split up. This is in part due to the main deity of the temple, Lu Dongbin, being something of a womaniser and is capable of seducing single mortal women even in the afterlife! Charming! Regardless of its legend, one thing everybody loves about Zhinan is its architecture!
Written April 22, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
shykyoichi
Quezon City, Philippines63 contributions
Sep 2015 • Solo
It's an interesting temple given that it is located on the mountain side. But no one even bothered to put signs that there are tons of renovation going on. The beautiful view was marred by the scaffolding, and it isn't nice.
Written September 1, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
trvlr7311
Columbus, OH72 contributions
Apr 2014 • Friends
There are actually three temples here, two Taoist temples and a Buddhist temple. Amazing sculptures, carvings, and the 3-dimenional effects of the placement of layers inside the temples are quite other-wordly. There temples also offer an excellent view of the city, Taipei 101, and the surrounding mountains.
We went to take the Gondola, but it was Monday and closed for routine maintenance on Mondays. So we took a bus from the area to the foot of the trail and walked many steps (more than 1,500, as I remember) to the temples. However we did get to visit with some people along the way, stopped for tea, and generally saw things that we would not have otherwise seen. Not too demanding, the steps are small. I am 60 years old, and the walk wasn't too bad.
We did not go on to the mountain top by foot, so didn't get to experience some of the tea plantations and restaurants. We did have tea and snacks at the Taoist temple to Lu Dong Bin.
Great place to visit. You can take a bus (I think 530, but don't remember for sure) to the temples, also. We did take the bus back down to the MRT.
We went to take the Gondola, but it was Monday and closed for routine maintenance on Mondays. So we took a bus from the area to the foot of the trail and walked many steps (more than 1,500, as I remember) to the temples. However we did get to visit with some people along the way, stopped for tea, and generally saw things that we would not have otherwise seen. Not too demanding, the steps are small. I am 60 years old, and the walk wasn't too bad.
We did not go on to the mountain top by foot, so didn't get to experience some of the tea plantations and restaurants. We did have tea and snacks at the Taoist temple to Lu Dong Bin.
Great place to visit. You can take a bus (I think 530, but don't remember for sure) to the temples, also. We did take the bus back down to the MRT.
Written April 23, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If I pay for the whole Maokong gondola trip from MRT Taipei Zoo Stn to Maokong Mountain, can I get off at Chih Nan Temple station for a quick tour then ride the gondola back again to the top?
Written April 19, 2019
Will there be a lot of walking and climbing needed to reach Zhinan Temple, from the Zhinan Gondola station and to enter into the temple? I have 3 seniors citizen aged above 75 and therefore will like to know the expectation before deciding to bring them there.
Written June 25, 2018
Le travaux rénovation du temple sont ils terminés ?
Written September 26, 2016
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