Taoist Temple

CEBU TAOIST TEMPLE

Located in the wealthy Beverly Hills residential enclave in the suburb of Lahug about 6 km north of downtown Cebu is an enormous Taoist Temple.

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 traditional rites and 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.

Built in 1972, the Taoist Temple is constructed in a highly ornate and, some would say, gaudy style that is typical of much modern Chinese religious architecture (with a predominantly red and green coloring scheme), and is topped with a pagoda-style roof.

The temple has an elevation of 300 meters above sea level, and if you climb the 99 steps to the entrance, you will be rewarded with a panoramic view of Cebu City and the harbor and in the distance Mactan and Bohol islands. Nice sunset views too.

For me, the Taoist Temple in Cebu Philippines is one of the highlights of Cebu. It is the only Taoist Temple I have been too. If you have been to many of them, especially the ones in Thailand, it probably will not be as impressive to you. If you’re into photography though, it’s a great place to visit. Perhaps that is why I loved it so much.

I have read a lot of negative reviews about the Taoist Temple in Cebu City, so I feel I should warn you that not everyone enjoys it as much as I do. Some are upset because of the dress code or they can’t take pictures in certain locations.

This temple is a operating Taoist Temple and that means they need to have certain rules in place. I remember getting scolded because I was hanging out in front of the main worship temple. They don’t like that. I couldn't get in because I had shorts on. I could see inside and to me it wasn’t a big deal to go inside.

If you visit the Taoist Temple in Cebu City, you should rent a taxi for a round way trip. Otherwise, you’ll find that you must walk down the mountain back into the city to get back to your home or hotel. That is not a short walk.

I have provided a Google map to the right. You can click on the navigation elements within the map to zoom or change your location. If you click the pointer in the map, you can also get directions to the Taoist Temple Cebu from your location. You can download a KML file and import it into your compatible GPS application by clicking here.