Bishanyan Temple: A temple with a panoramic view of the Taipei City, Taiwan

Today, during my regular weekend cycling trip, I decided to challenge myself by heading to a nearby mountain. I chose to go to Bishan (碧山), where the Bishanyan Kaizhang Shengwang Temple (碧山巖開漳聖王廟) is nestled.

Location in Taipei, Taiwan

Bishanyan Kaizhang Shengwang Temple (碧山巖開漳聖王廟) is located in the northeastern part of Taipei, Taiwan, exactly at Neihu District.

This place in Taiwan is not a touristy spot, as it is not convenient to reach by bus or train. One would need to use their own or rented vehicle, or ride a bicycle like I did, to get here. Yet, this place offers a mindful vibe and a panoramic view of Taipei City from a hill.

Viewpoint of Taipei City

Upon arriving, the temple welcomes you with the smell of incense and a silence that invites mindfulness. The temple’s terrace will surprise you with a panoramic view of the city, with the Taipei 101 building at its center.

I am not a Buddhist, but I enjoy the peaceful vibe of this place. In fact, this is not my first time visiting. It is my go-to spot when I want to challenge myself with a medium-difficulty mountain climb on my bicycle.

Visitors, especially children, can also enjoy viewing distant places using the coin-operated telescope. While sightseeing, you’ll also enjoy watching airplanes take off and land at the nearby airport.

I personally enjoy taking pictures here when airplanes fly directly over the top of the Taipei 101 building. I shared one of these pictures with a friend of mine, and he replied with a dark joke: ‘This one missed the tower.’ 💀💀💀💀

The rain suddenly poured while I was there, so I enjoyed my time resting and appreciating the view in front of me, listening to the instrumental music played by the temple, which perfectly matched the sound of the raindrops.

I really like how Taipei is surrounded by mountains, offering plenty of options for adventurous seekers like me to explore. However, the downside is that clouds are often trapped in this area, making it cloudy and rainy

By the time the rain stopped, I finally decided to leave, but not before trying some grilled pork sausages called Xiang Chang (香腸). Right at the parking lot of the temple, there were vendors selling freshly grilled Xiang Chang and another type, a grilled sticky rice dish that I’m not sure of the name.

This blog is cross-posted from my PeakD blog.