Wuji Tianyuan Temple 無極天元宮

Historical Background:

Wujitianyuan Temple is a Taoist temple located in Tamsui District, New Taipei City, about 5 kilometers from downtown Tamsui, built against the mountains and facing the sea. Founded in 1972 by Huang A-Kuan and seven other Taoist practitioners, it was the first temple in Taiwan to begin its name with “Wuji” (Limitless) and was later registered as a foundation-run temple in 1977. The complex includes the main Tianyuan Temple, the circular five-story Zhenyuan Tiantan (completed in 1992) on the hillside, and the Juyuan Hall, each symbolizing stages of spiritual cultivation and judgment distinct from traditional folk temples. The site features grand marble architecture, multiple halls dedicated to Taoist and Buddhist deities such as the Jade Emperor, Maitreya Buddha, and the Three Pure Ones, and extensive landscaped grounds. It is especially famous in northern Taiwan as a cherry blossom viewing destination, with Taiwan mountain cherry trees and Sakura cherry trees drawing large crowds each spring during the annual cherry blossom season.

Hours:

8 AM to 8 PM every day.

Price:

Free

Cherry Blossom Season

Cherry Blossoms can be seen in here from February to late March. Check out our full guide to Cherry Blossom Season in Taiwan here. 

Where to stay:

We recommend Fullon Hotel, which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach.
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 stayed at and recommend Hai Xia Your Home, which is right in front of Fulong Beach. 

Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality accommodation selection in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

Activities in Taipei:

There are many other activities available to enjoy nearby in Taipei, such as 
– kayaking
– canoeing
– snorkeling
– SUP / paddle boarding
– water biking
and more activities which you can book on Klook here or KKday here. 

How to get there:

By Car/Scooter: Take Provincial Highway 2 north to Tamsui, then take a right on Highway 101 until you come past Wuji Tiantuan Temple, which is hard to miss. There is limited paid parking nearby. Looking for scooter rental in Tamsui? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. ​
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.   
By MRT/Bus: Take the Taipei MRT red line to Tamsui Station, then switch to bus 875. The bus ride is about another 20 minutes until you reach the Tianyuan Temple stop. You can also book a Taipei Sightseeing: Hop On, Hop Off Open Top Bus on TripAdvisor here. 
By Bicycle: Take the MRT to Tamsui, then take the ferry to Bali Old Street. From there you can rent a bicycle and ride 2KM over to the museum. 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. 

Map:

Please see below to see:

Our Journey

We have been to Wuji Tianyuan Temple twice. Unfortunately, the first time I visited was not cherry blossom season, and the second time was super foggy. It’s hard to plan these trips so that they perfectly align with the weather. Overall, we still had a great time and got some great photos. The temple was still beautiful even in the fog.

We drove a car to the temple. Along the way, we noticed that there were many cherry trees in blossom along the side of the road.

We found some free parking in an alley behind the temple. Such parking spots are limited and don’t expect to find free parking on a busy weekend.

Some beautiful cherry blossoms we found in someone’s backyard near the temple.

Tamshui’s Tienyen Temple

Located in Beihsin road of Tamshui, Tienyen Temple is an imitation of China’s Heavenly Altar in Beijing. The 5-story building provides an excellent view of Tamhai and Taiwan Strait. Tienyen Temple is a famous Taoism establishment, and is nearby a highway that faces Tamshui highland to the front and Nantienhuo Mountain to the back. Tienyen Temple is located on a hilly area. Inside the temple is a pavilion together with eight bronze-made faucets that provide mountain water all year round. The mountain water is extremely tasty and is perfect for Chinese tea.

Tienyen Temple is also famous for its Yoshino cherry blossoms. Visitors see the pink cherry trees on both sides of the passageway. Flowers drop down to the ground as wind blows. Visitors feel as if they are watching cherry blossoms in Kyoto.

Cherry blossoms on a cloudy day.

The main Wuji Tianyuan Temple is pretty traditional and normal looking. If you come at the right time, this part of the temple is also filled with blossoms.

The newer part of the temple has this huge circular tower, which is pretty unique in Taiwan and stands out more than anything here.

There were also tons of other people here visiting.

View of the stairway up to the tower.

Closeup of the top of the tower through the fog.

View of the bottom of the tower.

Another view of the stairway.

View looking back down from near the tower.

Wide view from the first floor.

View of the tower through the fog and cherry blossoms.

Another view with cherry blossoms.

Another angle.

It’s hard not to get a beautiful shot here.

Horizontal view.

View of the first-floor gods in the tower. The floors here are about two storeys high and the temple is beautiful.

Wider view of the same floor.

View of a circular doorway higher up.

Another circular door from higher up.

Circular staris going up the tower.

Unfortunatley, once we got to the top of the tower, it was mostly just a view of fog. Also, most of the cherry trees when we visited were not in bloom.

A break in the fog behind the tower.

View facing the fog.

Gods on the top of the tower.

Rainbow ceiling.

Another god on the second floor.

View looking from the second floor.

From here, you can explore more gardens up on the hillside.

View of the fountain behind the temple.

Cherry blossoms behind the temple.

Another view from the balcony.

Another set of gods on another floor.

Another circular doorway.

Closeup on cherry blossoms.

Crowds coming to and from the tower.

View of the biggest cherry tree.

Driving through Sanzhi, we also found this stretch of road with more cherry blossoms.

Another view from the same stretch of road.

Thanks for reading!

Check out our full guide to Cherry Blossom Season in Taiwan here. 

Check out our guide to Taipei here.

Check out our full guide to Taiwan here.