10 - Lungshan Temple（龍山寺）
The first time I came to Lungshan Temple was just about a year ago. After the beginning-of-year teacher's conference concluded, some of my fellow Hualien foreign teachers and I decided to stay behind a little longer to tour Taipei. Our very first stop happened to be Lungshan Temple. We got off the train and found ourselves in an older, very crowded district. Luckily, the temple was nearby, just across from the square at which the train stopped.
We walked underneath the ornate, dragon-decked facade and into the temple grounds. It was around four o'clock in the afternoon, so the inside of the temple was very busy. It seems as if many people had stopped by to pay their respects after getting off work. Some carried shopping backs and briefcases, others were still dressed in their neat office clothes. Large, untouched platters of food lay on a row of tables on the left. The sounds of slow chanting and beating drums emanated from the main hall. We took a quick peek in there, careful to not disturb the monks.
At the far end of the temple were various statues of folk gods and goddesses. Each deity had its own little stone room. Lines of worshippers were gathered in front of each. We spent a good time in quiet observation before leaving. Back outside the main gates, my friend said she had to use the wash. I waited for her by the pond. Those next moments, spent watching the fish swim about, filled me with a great sense of peace. What a simple, carefree existence they lived, paddling about in circles all day. It is said that those fish can become arbitrarily large.
A few months later, when I was back in Taipei for the Thanksgiving teacher's conference, I made a special stop by Lungshan to pay another visit to my favourite koi fish. I doubt that they remembered me. But watching them swim still brought me peace. May they continue to live happily and grow with each passing year.