Pishan Temple

The Pishan (Green Mountain) Temple, also known by its more formal name of bi shan yan kai zhang sheng miao, is one of the finest sights in Taipei. Perched on the side of a mountain with breathtaking views of Taipei, the temple gets surprisingly few visitors, at least on weekdays. The scenery is great and the area is peppered with hiking trails. You can even stay overnight in the temple for a NT$500 'donation' but food costs extra.

The nearby Pishan Camping Ground (bi shan luying chang) is a good place to stay, even if you're not particularly interested in temples, as coming up here is a great way to escape the chaos of Taipei.

The Pishan Temple is in the Neihu district in north-east Taipei. The temple is on a long loop road through the mountains, and buses stop at both ends of the loop; the temple is at the northern end of the loop, so be sure to get off at that end. It's best to take a bus to the Godlen Dragon Temple (jinlong si), which is also on the loop road near Pishan Tmeple. While Golden Dragon Temple is worth looking at, don't mistake it for your ultimate destination which is farther up the mountain. From the Golden Dragon Temple, you will have to walk uphill along a paved road.

-excerpt from Taiwan, 4th ed.by Robert Storey, Lonely Planet, Oakland, CA.isbn 0864426348