Qingshui Temple

In 1853, someone in this Taipei harbor district set fire to the temple standing here, and this guide traces the rivalry between immigrant groups fighting over the docks that led to it. It follows the god inside, a monk venerated as Qingshui Zushi, said to warn believers before disaster strikes through one unusual feature on his statue. You'll hear how the temple was rebuilt between 1867 and 1875, and about the courtyard's dragon pillars and brick carvings from that era. Look closely at the statue's face, said to have been blackened by smoke long before the fire that took the original temple.