Small red-roofed temples and golden Buddhas perched on steep mountain slopes are proof of the Taiwanese attachment to veneration of the gods. In cities and towns, people come to pray and seek the hope of a better life, whether Buddhist or Taoist, or even Christian or Aborigines.

Ceremonies and processions punctuate the calendar. Giant costumes and colorful masks, dancing to the sound of huge drums, and the smell of incense sticks that charge the atmosphere are all indications that Taiwan is, indeed, an island of a thousand gods.

With its multiple facets, Taiwan is also a subtle blend of tradition and modernity, and of nature and urbanization in the extreme. The capital has broad avenues that have been invaded by neon. Huge advertising billboards are as much an occurrence as the age-old calligraphy on parchment. There are also dark alleys lined with small houses and art galleries that reflect a young avant-garde lifestyle that still juggles between West and East. Taipei never sleeps. The crowd is dense in the night markets, trendy bars, karaoke joints, and night clubs that have proliferated in the city.

Taiwan’s modernity is juxtaposed with the fact that the island has 16,000 temples and 108 meditation centers including the impressive monastery of Chung Tai Chan in Puli Township in Nantou County, found in the center of the island. This monastery is a huge meditation center. About 1,600 monks and nuns live here. This monastery is also a city unto itself, with its latest media center, recording studios, printing offices, kitchens like those in grand palaces, and a beautiful park with flowers and trees fit for Zen meditation. It is one of the largest Buddhist monasteries in Taiwan.

Via TAIWAN