Cebu Taoist Temple, Philippines

The prayer room at the highest peak of the complex.

​Cebu Taoist Temple and a date with the dragon

Cebu Taoist Temple is located in Beverly Hills Subdivision of Cebu City, Philippines. The temple is built by Cebu's substantial Chinese community in 1972.

One of the many dragons which are protecting the area

Pray and make a wish

The Taoist temple is open to the worshipers and non-worshipers alike. A ritual among devotees is where one prays to the gods to grant one's wish. The ritual includes washing of hands, going inside the chapel barefoot and dropping two blocks of wood. If the blocks of wood are both face up then one could make a wish. If not then it is not yet the time for one's wish to be granted and one has to come to the temple some other time.

The entrance to the temple is a replica of the Great Wall of China. ( This is not the entrance though )

The temple includes a chapel, a library, a souvenir shop and a wishing well.

Amazing view from here

On a clear day you can spot the islands of Mactan and Bohol from here.

---

---

Unwind for a while

The Taoist temple is easy accessible from downtown Cebu. We took a taxi from Ayala center and paid around 150 PHP. The view from here is amazing and the surroundings are relaxing for a busy mind. To come here was like to unwind from the hectic and busy city life down town Cebu. I really liked the place for its quietness and beautiful view!

There are 81 steps in the stair... (representing the 81 chapters of Taoism scriptures)

My friends were enjoying the visit to the Taoist temple

A friendly fisherman. You were not allowed to throw coins in this pond.

Any place is good for taking a selfie!

The wishing well

The view is spectacular

The dragons

Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology. Chinese dragons have many animal-like forms such as turtles and fish, but are most commonly depicted as snake-like with four legs. They traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, typhoons, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck for people who are worthy of it in East Asian culture.

Chinese dragons stand on the temple’s roofs like protectors and sentinels of the site

The dragon is a symbol of power, strength, and good luck for people

Reminders

Even if you don’t share their faith, you must always keep in mind that it’s a sacred site for Taoist worshipers and is a place originally intended for meditation and prayer.

• Don’t wear sleeveless or shorts if you wish to enter it’s altar
• Don’t snap photos inside the prayers and temples (you can allowed to take photographs of every other part of the temple complex)
• Stay in the temple for just 30 minutes to an hour
• Observe silence

Going back to downtown

When time to go back downtown again there are numerous options, taxi, habal habal or jeepney. But we chose to walk. Actually it's not far from Ayala center only about 30-40 min of easy walking. And... yes it's no problem, it's perfectly safe to walk here at least in day time. 

A short video clip of our walk back downtown. My friend was also in a desperate need of a cigarette!

Related links to Cebu island >>>