This small but atmospheric temple appears from the outside as a narrow, but elaborate, storefront in the Ximending area. But walk through the gate and you'll find one of Taipei's most intriguing temples, a place where Japanese and Chinese worship patterns existed, and still exist, side by side.
The original Tien-ho Temple (devoted to the goddess Matsu, also known as Tienho, or the Empress of Heaven) was built in 1746, and demolished during the last years of Japanese rule to make way for a roadway. The current structure was erected in 1948 on the grounds of a former Japanese temple devoted to Hong Fa Da Shi. As you face the exit you can see a statue of Hong Da Fa Shi to the right, while on the left is a group of Jizō (the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva) statues. Even today many local worshippers will pray to the Japanese deities as they make their way round the temple.
