Sanjiaodu Tiande Temple

Date CapturedMay 13th, 2019 at 10:55 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IIApertureƒ / 7.1Shutter Speed1/200 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO200Exposure Value13.3 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

A fascinating temple on the riverside in Shilin, Taipei, near the Jiantan Pump Station (劍潭抽水站) and the Sanjiaodu Ferry Dock (三腳渡碼頭). It was originally an illegal structure on wheels, later it was rebuilt with hydraulic lifts capable of lifting the entire temple up to 7 meters to the top of the levee during floods. The structure of the temple is completely made out of metal with door gods painted in a style that almost resembles street art. Inside is a collection of previously abandoned idols caught by fishermen operating out of the nearby dock. During the lottery crazy of the 1980s and early 1990s people would pray to various gods for winning numbers and sometimes desecrate those idols who performed poorly, eventually disposing of them by throwing them in the river. Although the site is not large, it is a fascinating place to visit. It is featured in Parasitic Temples as the Lifting Temple (升降廟).