Dharma Drum Mountain
Main Deities
About
Step into Dharma Drum Mountain and you'll find it looks less like the incense-wreathed temple you might picture and more like a quiet academy in the hills. Set among the green slopes of Jinshan District in New Taipei City, this Buddhist monastery is home to one of Taiwan's four major Buddhist organizations, founded by Master Sheng Yen in 1989. Its architecture deliberately blends modern lines with a Zen sensibility, echoing at every turn the Master's call for "protecting the spiritual environment." The grounds include a meditation center and a Buddhist college. If you want to set the noise of the world down for a while and learn to still your mind, Dharma Drum Mountain is the clearest expression of how Taiwanese Buddhism has modernized.
History
In 1989, Master Sheng Yen began building Dharma Drum Mountain in Jinshan, though the grand inauguration ceremony did not take place until 2005. His guiding ideal was "uplifting the character of humanity and building a pure land on earth": Buddhism, he argued, should not just chant sutras deep in the mountains, but step into society, care for people, and purify the human heart. That is why Dharma Drum Mountain is more than a monastery. It is a whole campus that brings together education, culture, and charity, a path that has also earned it an important place in the international Buddhist community.
Dharma Drum Mountain
Jinshan District, New Taipei City
Visitor Info
Address
No. 555, Fagu Rd., Jinshan Dist., New Taipei City
Region
Jinshan District, New Taipei City
Plan Your Visit
- Hours
- Daily 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- When to Go
- Buddha's Birthday (the Bathing the Buddha Festival) on lunar 4/8 is an important Buddhist holiday, when monasteries hold Bathing the Buddha ceremonies; ordinary days are good for a quiet, contemplative walk.
Checked on 2026-10-13 · Sources: Google Maps