The serene and stately Zhinan Temple sits high above Wenshan District in a near feng shui-perfect perch: two rivers converge in the valley below, while lush wooded hills flank its rear halls. First built in 1891, the temple is dedicated to Lu Tung Pin, one of the eight immortals of classic Chinese mythology.
Eleven shrines and three large temples comprise the entire complex. In the far right temple, dedicated to the Sakyamuni Buddha, look for a central Thai-style black Buddha. This was a gift from a Thai prime minister exiled during a coup and later reinstated, it is said, with the help of the Zhinan Temple pantheon.
Zhinan Temple's final claim to fame is the notorious habit of its resident god to split apart unmarried couples (Lu himself was a jilted lover). Many young Taiwanese still avoid the place for this reason.
