Songshan Ciyou Temple — Attraction in Taipei

Although we came here for the night market at Raohe Street but I was most attracted by this historical temple dedicated to Mazu.

松山慈祐宮 (Songshan Ciyou Temple) is a prominent and historic temple located in the Songshan District of Taipei, Taiwan. Dedicated to Mazu (媽祖), the goddess of the sea and a beloved deity in Taiwanese folk religion, the temple is a popular site for worshippers seeking blessings for safety, prosperity, and family well-being.

Built during the Qing Dynasty in the late 18th century, Songshan Ciyou Temple is over 200 years old. It was constructed after a local legend, where Mazu appeared in a villager’s dream, prompting the community to build the temple as a place of worship.

The temple showcases exquisite traditional Chinese architecture with intricate carvings, vibrant colors, and ornate dragon sculptures. The roof features classic ceramic dragons and phoenixes, symbolizing prosperity and protection. Inside, detailed murals and statues of Mazu and other deities adorn the space.

Songshan Ciyou Temple plays a vital role in the local community, hosting annual celebrations, especially during Mazu’s birthday in the lunar calendar (23rd day of the third lunar month). The temple is a hub for traditional ceremonies, cultural events, and festivals.

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The Songshan Ciyou Temple is right next to the Raohe Night Market. Built in 1753, Ciyou Temple is dedicated to the deity Black Faced Mazu. It is a multistory temple consisting six floors with an impressive main hall. The stone carvings on the wall are magnificent. A great view of the streets fro the upper level. It is worth the visit. All kind of people, locals as well as tourists, pass by. They express their wishes by lightening incense sticks and throw (wooden) dice to see if they‘ll be lucky. Taiwanese pragmatic way to things is shown in the way offerings are done. They are put on a table for the goods and recollected once people leave the temple. If people offer new clothes to God, the workers in the temple put a stamp on (inside) the cloth and later people leave them on the table in front of God for some time, before taking them home. It is really nice to see the culture and tradition of the country and its citizens. The locals are helping and kind. Must visit. I must say what a beautiful temple. The engraved and mesmerizing architecture is few of the best beautiful temples in Taipei. The rituals, belief and teaching of Taiwanese culture has always been luring people from years... One of nicest example of Taiwanese...

Excellent sculptures on wall showing temple history, especially main goddess development.

The temple represents Chinese acceptance and belief in multiple religions and worships, including Taoism, Buddhism, folklore, and other beliefs, although its main worship goddess is Ma-tzu, who became the religious goddess at about 10th century in south China .

Temple was built at first about 260 years ago, although it went through a series of rebuilding and expansion. Even after several rebuilding, the temple still preserves numerous historical building materials and decorations, including stone lions which seem to have about 200 years of history.

Temple volunteers provide friendly help to the visitors, while it also provides free worship incense and other religious worship paper to the worshipers.

Because temple is located at a famous Taipei night market which provides various local foods and other shopping opportunities, the temple is always crowded with believers, food eaters and other shoppers. Thus, the best time to visit the temple for religious and cultural purpose is on weekdays which are not holiday. However, to enjoy religious visit and food experience, visitors should visit temple at late afternoon...