The air is heavy with incense, a monk beats out the monotonous rhythm of his prayers on a wooden block and Chinese lanterns sway gently above a forest of flickering candles. This is one of Taipei's polling stations. Decorative Chinese dragons writhe and gaudy devils scowl as voters pass through the gates of the temple and head for a set of steps leading up to the ballot boxes.
China is on all our minds.
China has denounced Saturday's presidential election as a separatist plot and used weeks of menacing war games near the island to try to sway voters against frontrunner President Lee Teng-hui, who it believes is plotting to duck pledges of reunification. Many of the voters at Tien Ho temple paused in front of the altar after casting their vote, a quick succession of bows, hands clasped together. But you have to vote for democracy. He walked out on to the busy street and turned into a McDonalds restaurant.