Taoism and Taoist Temples in Davao

Davao City is a major city in the southern Philippines that stands on its own, apart from any province. There are many tourist attractions in the area including the Davao Museum and Davao Historical Society Museum, the Japanese Tunnel, Fort of Datu Bago, the Shrine of the Holy Infant, Battle Memorial and the Philippine Eagle Center. Among these well-known spots are religious temples dedicated to ancient Oriental faiths: Buddhism and Taoism. The Mindanao Taoist Temple is a must-see place if you want to understand the religious and spiritual history of the city.

The Philippines was a Spanish colony for almost four hundred years. It is not surprising then that most of its inhabitants would embrace Roman Catholicism, the religion of Spain. With the arrival of the Americans in the 19th century came Protestanism which also won its own converts. Today over 90% of Filipinos are Christian.

However Christianity is not the only religion in the country. Many natives still adhere to the Islamic faith which traveling Muslims had brought with them to the islands in the 1300s. Still others follcowed various tribal religions. Those Chinese immigrants who were mostly from Fujian and Taiwan were Buddhists and Taoists.

Buddhism was originally an ascetic philosophy imported from India. Taoism, on the other hand, is a purely Chinese development. Taoists believe that the Supreme, which they call Tao, is the source of all things and strive to live in harmony with it. Popular Taoism as practiced by the masses has many gods. Esoteric Taoism involves secret rites and practices that aim to bring realization of the Tao in man.

Many of the Chinese families in the Philippines chose to retain their ancestral beliefs instead of converting to Christianity. They built Buddhist and Taoist temples as places of worship. One of the best known is the Taoist temple in Cebu City, and also the Lon Wa temple of Buddhism in Davao. A more modest yet no less beautiful site is the Mindanao Taoist Temple, also in Davao.

Although it may seem that these two types of temples look alike, there are distinguishing marks that tell one from another. Buddhist temples typically have statues of human guards posted at its gates, while a temple like the Mindanao Taoist temple would have magical dragons, tigers and dogs. Also in Taoist temples you will see Chinese characters inscribed on walls and doors, fascinating lanterns, serpent-like dragons and other interesting things.

On the outside, the Mindanao Taoist Temple is a multi-tiered, eight-sided Chinese temple. On the walls you will see the unmistakable bagua used in the I-Ching and Chinese lucky charms. These are line patterns on an octagon plane showing the various interactions of yin and yang, the female and male principles in Taoist philosophy. Inside the temple, joss incense is burned and Taoist ceremonies are performed. You will also see icons of the Taoist divinities such as the Eight Immortals, the Triad and its founder, Lao Tze.