Taipei Tianhou Temple

This guide to Taipei Tianhou Temple traces a spot in Ximending that has quietly served two faiths at once: a Qing-era shrine to the sea goddess Mazu, built by Fujianese merchants in 1746, standing on ground once home to a Japanese Buddhist hall dedicated to the monk Kobo Daishi. You'll hear how war, fire, and demolition scattered both statues across the neighborhood, and about the temple director whose own father once prayed before the Buddhist image. Notice the carved altar where different incense trails now meet.