Yuanshan Water Shrine

Just across the road from Taipei’s Shilin Night Market is a shrine that takes you back in time. The Yuanshan Water Shrine was built in 1938, during the Japanese colonial period. It was built to honor the water gods and commemorate the workers who died while constructing the Tsaoshan Waterway System, which brought water from Yangmingshan down into the city. 

After 1949, most Shinto shrines in Taiwan were demolished or repurposed by the Kuomintang government. Yuanshan Water Shrine remains one of the more well-preserved, perhaps due to its tucked-away location. Although the main hall is gone, much of the original structure survives, including common elements such as komainu (guardian lion-dogs) and stone lanterns. On the way to the small, tranquil shrine, you will also pass by the original water reservoir structures.

In 2017, a man vandalized the shrine and stole one of the komainu statues. He was later sentenced to prison, and the missing statue’s base now includes a sign explaining the incident. The remaining statue—a female komainu—stands alone. 

Behind the shrine, you will find a steep trail leading up to the Jiantan Mountain, which offers a spectacular view of northern Taipei.