Dharma Drum Mountain World Center for Buddhist Education (aka Dharma Drum Mountain 法鼓山) is a religious education center in Jinshan District of New Taipei City. Here you can learn to relax, meditate, and enjoy the surrounding natural scenery. The center also has guided tours and classes for those interested in learning more about Buddhism.
🏯 Planning your trip to Jinshan? 🏮
Here are some top travel tips for you:
- Best time to visit: March-May, and October – November when the temperatures are nice and there is not as much rain
- How to get there: Inter-City Bus or taxi
- Best places to stay: Jinshan Bay Hot Spring Resort or Intercontinental New Taipei Hot Spring By IHG
- Book tours and activities in Taipei on Klook
- Stay connected with a local SIM
- Rent a car to explore distant sights
Background:
Founded by Master Sheng Yen and rooted in earlier institutions established by Master Dongchu, Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) is one of Taiwan’s most influential Buddhist organizations, dedicated to promoting Buddhist education, meditation, social welfare, and the philosophy of “uplifting the character of humanity and building a Pure Land on Earth.” Its headquarters is the Dharma Drum Mountain World Center for Buddhist Education in the Jinshan District of New Taipei City, a large mountain campus developed after land was acquired in 1989 and officially inaugurated in 2005. The Jinshan campus serves as the spiritual, educational, and administrative heart of the organization, housing major institutions such as the Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts, Sangha University, research centers, meditation facilities, and the monastic community. Surrounded by scenic mountains overlooking Taiwan’s northern coast, the campus was designed as a center for Buddhist learning, contemplation, and environmental harmony, reflecting DDM’s emphasis on spiritual cultivation, education, and global outreach. While DDM maintains numerous branch temples throughout Taiwan and overseas, the Jinshan campus remains its primary center for religious practice, academic study, leadership training, and international Buddhist exchange.
Hours:
9 AM to 4 PM
Price:
Free
Tours:
You can book a tour to Jinshan on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here.
Activities nearby:
Don’t forget that there are many activities available along Taiwan’s Northern Coast such as Wakeboarding, Surfing, Speedboat Surfing, SUP / Paddle Boarding, Diving, Snorkeling Kayaking, Canoeing, Water Biking, River Tracing / Canyoneering, ATVing, Horse Riding, Archery, Tree Climbing, Glamping, Motorcycling, Motorbike Tour, Dragon Boat Racing, Shen’ao Rail Bike, and more on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here.
Where to Stay:
We recommend Jinshan Bay Hot Spring Resort, which is a reasonably-priced and high-quality resort right next to Huanggang Harbor (book on Booking.com here, Trip.com here, or Agoda here).
We have stayed at and recommend Gold Mountain Ranch, which is a horse ranch and glamping destination in Jinshan. You can book a night at Gold Mountain Ranch on Klook here. You can also check out our full blog on the ranch here.
We have also recommended Intercontinental New Taipei Hot Spring By IHG, which is perhaps the nicest hotel in Jinshan (book on Trip.com here, Agoda here, or Klook here).
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.
How to get there:
By Bus: There are inter-city buses that leave hourly from Taipei Main Station and Taipei City Hall to Yehliu. You can purchase a discount EasyCard to use on the MRT and buses from Klook here or KKday here. You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here.
By Car/Scooter: Take Provincial Highway 2 west out of Keelung, and keep going until you reach Jinshan. The turnoff to Yehliu comes right before you reach Zhongjiao beach. Follow the signs up the mountain to Dharma Drum Mountain. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.
Looking for scooter rental in northern Taiwan? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here.
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan’s many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a cycling tour on TripAdvisor here.
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here.
Map:
See the map below:
Please see above.
Our Journey:
I have been to Dharma Drum Mountain once, and I would like to share my experience here. It is well known that Taiwan has a lot of Buddhists and Buddhist temples. There are also lots of different Buddhist sects. When I lived in Kaohsiung, I knew of and visited Buddha Light Mountain, which is a huge pyramid and complex on the Gaoping River, which is quite impressive to look at. There is also “Middle Taiwan Mountain” in Puli, which has a giant tower and an indoor wooden pagoda. Dharma Drum Mountain is a bit different than those, focusing on nature and meditation.
You can see Dharma Drum Mountain on the mountain in Jinshan. Behind the main education area is a huge graveyard.
I was roped into a tour of Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts. But I had a great time nonetheless. Our tour guide was a retired man who had decided to do a Master’s degree at the Institute.
The institute looks like any other college campus in Taiwan.
The area here on the hillside is really quite beautiful.
There is also a really beautiful footbridge here that connects the campus. However, the bridge doesn’t really have a good view of anything, and it doesn’t cross over anything special.
The bridge crosses over this ditch.
Some Buddha lights on the Dharma Drum Mountain.
As part of the tour, we were taken up a mountain trail to meditate and drink tea, and we were forbidden from using electronics. I think that kind of thing is new and novel for many Taiwanese office workers who grind it out in their offices and head home to their apartments, never connecting with nature. But as an Eagle Scout from the Pacific Northwest who had been camping hundreds of times, it was kind of underwhelming to me, but still peaceful and refreshing. Nonetheless, I think I would choose to do something more exciting with my free time. That being said, I hope the best for this institute, which seems to have falling student numbers despite a brand new, shiny campus. Go check it out! The people here are super friendly and will be glad to show you around.
Check out our full guide to Jinshan and Wanli here.
Check out our guide to Taiwan’s northern coast here.
Check out our full guide to Taiwan here.
