David on Formosa

View of Zhonghe from Yuantong Temple (Guanyin Shan in the background)

One of the best things about living in Taipei is that there are so many places to visit in and around the city. You could easily visit a different place every weekend for a whole year.

This morning I got up early and rode my bicycle out to Zhonghe. The first place I visited was the Yuantong Chan Temple (圓通禪寺). It is nestled in the mountains with a commanding view over Zhonghe and Taipei.

Yuantong Chan Temple 1

Yuantong Chan Temple 2

The temple itself is a model of Buddhist simplicity. I like the understated design and use of stone bricks, but Taipei's riotous and colorful Taoist temples are generally more interesting to look at.

Yuantong Chan Si

After a short climb up the mountain behind the temple there is a view over a valley where an entire hillside is covered with tombs. This marks the starting point of the Zhonghe walking trail (中和步道).

Initially the trail was a bit difficult to pick up and didn't look very promising. However, further along the trail there was some nice forest and occasionally some good views through the trees. The path was not paved in parts and even though it was a Saturday morning there were very few people on the trail.

I walked along the trail until I got to Qingyun Road (清雲路) and then returned via the same route. Next time I might travel there by bus so I can continue to follow the trail and then take a bus home from the end of the trail rather than having to return to the starting point.

A hillside covered in tombs behind Yuantong Temple

Forest on the Zhonghe walking trail

After I finished my hike I rode over to Yonghe to visit the Museum of World Religions. I last visited the museum four years ago, not long after it opened. I wanted to go back and see how much it had changed. I must admit I wasn't as impressed as I had been on my first visit. There was one major addition to the museum since my last visit — scale models of some of the worlds most beautiful temples and churches. These were very well made and interesting. I was surprised that Angkor Wat wasn't included though.

There was also a special exhibition about bronze vessels. The exhibition was set up for children to enjoy, but there was enough there for adults too. All the signage of the exhibition was in Chinese, but a lady from the museum kindly showed me around and explained what the different shaped vessels were used for and some of the iconography.