Composed of buildings that vary in height and tiles that are wide and flat, Baoan Temple is the belief center of the Dalongdong region. It not only has a special architectural form, but also reflects the Lao-Zhuang (Laozi and Zhuangzi) Taoist thought, which highlights that everything in the world is natural and human beings’ way of life should also imitate the “Tao” of nature. Therefore, the design does not deliberately emphasize the symmetry of the building, but focuses on harmony and nature. There are gurgling water in the lower part and rolling mountains in the upper part. It perfectly presents what Professor Li told us about the “Dongtian Fudi” (place of auspiciousness) concept. And this architectural model is completely different from the Confucian Temple based on Confucianism. Because Confucianism advocates the philosophy of “life of the mean, peace, rules, and order,” it thus strictly follows the human relations in Chinese families. Seeing the semi-circular pool in the Confucian Temple in Taipei, I was reminded of the irregular-shaped pool in Baoan Temple, and the difference is striking. After seeing this stark contrast, I realized that philosophy and architecture are closely intertwined. It turns out that different philosophical thoughts and ideas will be reflected through architecture and indirectly affect the structure.

Architectural Layout of Dalongdong Baoan Temple
Source: Professor Li Chien-Lang

Sectional Perspective View of the Main Hall of Baoan Temple,
Painted by Prof. Li
Source: Professor Li Chien-Lang

In addition, I also discovered the importance of historic site restoration and cultural promotion from these two temples. In 2003, Baoan Temple won the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Cultural Assets Preservation Award. Liao Wuzhi, the chairman of Dalongdong Baoan Temple, paid great attention to the preservation work during the seven-year restoration of Baoan Temple, replacing building materials and repairing works. The restoration of the temple not only made Baoan Temple the first successful restoration at its own expense (i.e. without government subsidy), but also helped this temple, which houses both art and religion, regain its original appearance. When wandering around the Confucian Temple, I accidentally found a signboard full of educational significance, introducing six kinds of knowledge, including ritual, music, archery, imperialism, calligraphy, and mathematics. I understand Confucius’ emphasis on multi-learning and the educational philosophy centered on whole-person development. And on September 28 this year, which is the Teacher’s Day in Taiwan and also the anniversary of Confucius’s birthday, the Confucian Temple in Taipei held the Memorial Ceremony for Confucius. The ceremony also allows the people to express their respect and admiration for the holiest teacher Confucius.

“The last master of high modernist architecture ” IM Pei once said, “Architecture is alive. Although it is solidified, it contains humanistic thoughts nonetheless.” Indeed, Professor Li Chien-Lang led us to visit the most representative Confucian Temple in Taipei and Dalongdong Baoan Temple, let us see that the temple, among other temples in Taiwan, has long been an iconic architectural style in Taiwan. In addition to being able to appreciate, discover, and observe with your eyes, you must also use your heart to appreciate these buildings. We must thus explore the ideas behind the architecture, understand its meaning, and record its beauty. Architecture is dead, but the people who build and enter the architecture are alive. How can we combine human culture to give architecture a purpose? When buildings are endowed with the humanistic meanings mentioned above, people have to cherish and promote them so that these cultural heritages can last forever.