Some Temples in Taiwan Are Hosting All-Night Raves

Visuals by Lam Yik Fei Text by John Yoon and Xinyun Wu

Taipei, Taiwan June 6, 2026

High in the humid hills above Taipei, Taiwan, the ruins of Shun An Temple sit along a hiking trail. The air smells of damp earth. Only a fragment of the temple walls and a few old incense burners remain. Here, the quiet of the woods is broken by the thump of techno and other electronic dance music. Hundreds of young people are dancing, bringing life back to a site nearly lost to the forest.

The crowd is a mix of locals and travelers from South Korea, Denmark, Britain and France. Temples in Taiwan, some hundreds of years old, serve as community centers where Buddhism, Taoism and local folk religions blend. Revelers said the setting gave parties a connection to traditions that the clubs in Taipei lacked. “There is a bit of a spiritual feeling,” said Lin Hsin-hui, a university student. “There’s also a strong cultural atmosphere, a certain sense of immersion.”

These gatherings have become more common in Taiwan in recent years, driven by young people looking for new nightlife spots. A recent temple party drew about 300 people. “Being in a familiar religious setting, it gives me a sense of something very rooted,” said Su You-sheng, a D.J. and drummer. “It adds a layer of mystery.”

Setting up the hillside parties is physically demanding. Andrew Dawson and Olivia Delacour, who organize them, carry speakers and other equipment up the slippery trails with the help of volunteers. Ms. Delacour said the parties aim to tap into the sense of community around Taiwan’s temples. “We also make parties more intertwined with nature — the wind, the sun, the light, everything,” said Mr. Dawson, also known by the Chinese name Chen Xuanyu. “And, of course, spirits.”

The temple managers welcome the parties. They see them as a way to bring young people back to Taiwanese traditions. “If it allows more people to engage with it, there’s nothing wrong with that,” said Chu Chih-ming, an executive secretary at a temple that recently hosted another party. Partygoers are well-behaved, the organizers said. They prefer not to describe the events as raves, saying illicit drug use is less prevalent in Taiwan than in rave scenes abroad.

People at a recent Shun An Temple party said they were happy to hike up the mountain for an escape from the city. “This place feels a bit like it’s in Taipei — but also not really in Taipei,” said Jim Wu, who works at a think tank in the city. The temple, he said, feels like it is “not quite in the real world.”

As 3 a.m. approached, a police officer arrived at the temple to check on the noise. Mr. Dawson said the officer listened as the organizers promised to lower the volume. Then he told them to have fun and left.

Xinyun Wu and Lam Yik Fei reported from Taipei. John Yoon reported from Seoul.