Text and Photos by : Melo Villareal
Its probably my third time to visit this Chinese Temple but each time i visit Cebu, I always make sure to visit this Taoist Temple to enjoy the fresh air and the fantastic birds eye-view of Cebu City, Mactan and Bohol islands.
The temple has an elevation of more or less 300 meters above sea level and you need to take 99 steps in order for you to reach the main temple. Oh! Well, not an easy walk but the view is truly rewarding.
Cebu takes pride in being the country’s oldest colonial city. Apart from Spanish Churches and landmarks, Chinese Temples can also attest to the richness of Cebu’s Heritage. The Cebuano’s Chinese heritage is very visible and one of the more popular destinations in the city is the Taoist Temple, located at the highest elevation of the Beverly Hills Subdivision which is about 6 km north of downtown Cebu.
It was built in 1972 with the help of Cebu’s prominent Chinese community. The Taoist Temple is constructed in a highly ornate with a pagoda style roof and of course prominent oriental Chinese architecture.
The temple is the a center of worship for Taoism, the religion which follows the teachings of the ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tze. You can see Taoist devotees following their rituals on Wednesdays and Sundays, as they climb the 99 steps of the temple to light joss sticks and have their fortunes read by the monks.
If you want to enjoy the scenery, go in the afternoon and be prepared to be enamored with stunning views of sunset.
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on Aug 15th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Wow Amazing Photos, Im a cebuana and i like your photography style. I like the colors and your short write up is great as well
on Aug 15th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
@gwapa - thank you so much for the kind words
on Aug 22nd, 2008 at 11:01 pm
[...] visiting the Cebu Taoist Temple and having our bountiful lunch at CnT Lechon Cebu, We went straight to Mactan - Cebu’s [...]
on Sep 2nd, 2008 at 11:59 am
I’ve been in this temple last year with my very special someone. She likes the place so much. I enjoyed the view from the temple. It gives you a better view of the island. Your photos remind me of that wonderful experience. Great job! Nice pics!
on Sep 18th, 2008 at 3:23 am
Wow, I love China and it’s architecture so this post and it’s photograps was perfect for me! =) /Elsa
on Sep 18th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
halow im so thankful that one of each picture have a beautiful and keep up the good work i hope they project you come….
GOOD LUCK!!!
on Sep 24th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Such a beautiful place to see and your angles in your photo are very different!
on Nov 19th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
i like it…we will bw having a field trip this november 29…i am so excited..