Saturday, May 16, 2009

Catching up - Taipei Saturday

It's been quite a while since entering stuff in my blog. So this weekend will be a little catching up in addition to some work (for my second boss - Teresa). Around the time of my birthday, we had the occasion to spend a Saturday in Taipei. The local MIT Educational Council (of which we are members) was hosting a lunch for all the admitted students from Taiwan - 5 from all over the island, including one young woman I interviewed. Of course, this may not be all the Taiwanese, since some may be in the US or elsewhere for high school and interview there. And then there are the Taiwanese Americans who are coming as American students.

Anyway, after lunch from noon to 4:00, we headed off. The art museum was a quick stop as they were installing a new exhibit and much of the museum was not yet open. This temple caught our eye and we stopped to investigate.

From Taipei Saturday 2009
From Taipei Saturday 2009
From Taipei Saturday 2009


It was very old and sparse (unadorned). We think this is Buddhist, and perhaps was part of a monastery. Another temple further up the street shows the difference. This was probably Taoist.
From Taipei Saturday 2009


Then we walked to a pair of larger temples across the street from each other. The first is the Confucius temple was also adorned but in a simpler style and quiet. You could sense the peacefulness of the place. The second, Bao-An Temple across the street, is a Taoist temple with lots of people and offerings all over the place. See if you can tell which is which.

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