The Shrine of The Senses
Longshan Temple, Taiwan
“An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance,” Yeulao, The Old Man Under The Moon
At the base of Dragon Mountain in Fujian, China lies a temple that concatenated worshippers of the revered Guanyin, Bodhisattva of Mercy. During the Qing dynasty, the Han settled into the Bangka district of Taiwan, now known as Wanhua, and in 1738, with piousness their lingering tie, built a temple in remembrance of the one that they left behind. They named it Dragon Mountain Temple… or Longshan.
Today, the temple stands tall, a talisman of Buddha, Confucian, Tao and Chinese Folk faiths. Locals and tourists alike come through the gates from around the world in worship, from seeking the knowledge of Wenchang Ding, god of literature and asking him for guidance to finding love from the Old Man Under The Moon, Yue Lao, who’s red threads are said to connect true loves. Believer or non, Longshan leaves the soul in supplication, the heart in homage and the body in prayer.
An aural, flavorful, textural, visual and aromatic prayer…
Sound
The Longshan plaza greets you with the sound of rushing water and koi fish splashing in the pool. As you enter through the dragon's mouth, the clash of the cymbals starts to form a pattern, as hypnotic as the motions that create them, and the huddles hum in synchrony, providing sustenance to your steps. Crossing the temple threshold, the soft clattering of jiaobei divination blocks punctuates the murmured questions sent to the gods, and with every clatter on the sun-baked brick floor, it is as though the deities are attempting to answer their queries. If you’re lucky, you can catch the chanting ceremony in one of their thrice-daily acts, where voices emerge and enhance each other, becoming a beckoning symphony. The striking of the mallets upon the leather drum rattles the ground beneath but does not deter those in devotion, while the bells chime at the top of the hour, reminding them of rest and relieving those who hear it.
Smell
The crisp tang of incense curls upward in spirals, mingling with the earthy sweetness of sandalwood and the faint metallic tang of the brass altars. It assaults the senses of visitors, replacing sound with a powerful aromatic experience. Nearby, the scent of aged wood rises from the temple's beams, infused with centuries of smoke and prayers. Fresh flowers—lilies, chrysanthemums, and peonies—offer their fragrance in bursts of color, softening the sharper notes of the incense. These flowers are carefully chosen and arranged for each deity, their delicate fragrance symbolizing sincere prayers and original offerings of faith, belief, and peace. When the breeze drifts through, it carries a miraculous aroma, filling every corner of the temple with a serene sanctity that gently soothes the bustling anxiety of the city just beyond the walls.
Sight
The roof gleams with ceramic dragons, their scales shimmering in greens and gold, seeming to twist and turn as you move. The swallowtail ridge curves upwards more grandly, symbolizing the shape of a sharp crescent moon, a testament to the temple's sanctity as a place of worship and the reverence for the deities enshrined within. Moving inside, each altar is a masterpiece of detail, gilded figures of deities stand amidst intricate tapestries of red and gold, surrounded by offerings in every color. The courtyard is alive with movement: worshippers bowing with measured grace, monks tending to candles that flicker like stars in the dim.
[The octagonal caisson ceiling](https://taiwangods.moi.gov.tw/html/landscape_en/1_0011.aspx?i=15#:~:text=Qing Dynasty Han Chinese began,its divine presence to Taiwan.), composed of 32 interlocking wooden brackets, or Taiwan’s only pair of cast bronze dragon columns have stood tall through battles waged by both humans and nature, witnessing the resilience of this land and its people. All of this magics create the scene before us today into a doorway to the past—a vivid echo of life as it was over 270 years ago, timeless and untouched.
Touch
The cool, polished stone of the dragon gate welcomes you, its carvings smooth from generations of reverence. Inside, bronze statues stand as both guardians and guides, their surfaces warm to the touch, polished by a thousand hopeful palms. Prayer ribbons, tied tightly to altars, feel soft yet strong, a testament to the wishes they carry. The wooden beams, intricately carved with dragons and phoenixes, feel coarse and alive under the fingers, telling tales of their creators. the sensation of one’s knees meeting the prayer mat, the intertwining of hands in prayer—these are the touches of connection. They bridge the gap between yourself and your innermost petitions, between you and Guanyin Buddha in the central shrine, between you and the temple as a whole, nestled within the vibrant clamor of the surrounding city.
Taste
After all those immersive moments, stepping outside brings a shift in the senses—a breeze carries the tantalizing aromas of traditional street food stalls nearby. It’s impossible to pinpoint whether it’s the scent of braised pork rice deep in sauces, steaming dumplings bursting with juices, or chilled fruit juices that tingle the tongue. But these fragrances seem to linger, drawing in hungry stomachs and curious souls alike, pulling them into the unique spirit of this neighborhood. And if you answer this call, another feast for the senses begins.
Longshan is a place where one can feel the weight of history in the carved stone and the lightness of hope in the rising smoke of incense. It is a place that speaks without words, where the senses are awakened to the unseen and the unheard, and where the soul, heart, and body are united in a collective prayer for something beyond the self.
The worshippers who come to Longshan may ask for many things—guidance, love, protection—but they are not merely asking for favors; they are participating in something far deeper. In their prayers, their offerings, and their rituals, they are entwining themselves with the pulse of this ancient place.
Longshan is not just a temple. It is a living, breathing embodiment of centuries of faith, an ever-present reminder of the sacred in the ordinary. And as you leave its gates, the memory of its embrace stays with you—prayer is an experience.
Written by Haya A. Elmizwghi
Edited by Thu Phan
Photographed by Julio Caggiano