Xiaonan City God Temple
Xiaonan City God Temple (Xiǎo Nán Chénghuáng Miào 小南城隍廟) Insurgencies abound throughout Taiwan’s history, but probably the largest and most successful one happened in the 1720s. In fact, it was this insurgency that led to the building of the first city walls around Tainan. The leader of this rebellion was a duck keeper named Zhu Yigui … Continue reading
Sanshan Guowang Temple
Sanshan Guowang Temple (Sānshān Guówáng Miào 三山國王廟) The Sanshan Guowang are the Kings of the Three Mountains. The Three Mountains refer to Mt. Du, Mt. Jin, and Mt. Ming in the Chao district of Guangdong (Eastern Canton) Province in mainland China. The three mountain deities are considered the protectors of the Chao district (Chaozhou) and … Continue reading
Kaiji Matsu Temple
Kaiji Matsu Temple (Kāijī Tiānhòu Gōng 開基天后宮) While the Grand Matsu Temple was the first to be dedicated as an “Official Rights Tianhou Temple,” the first temple in the historic Chikan area devoted to Matsu is the nearby Kaiji Matsu Temple. Kaiji means inaugural, which makes one think this is the oldest Matsu temple in … Continue reading
Lady Linshui Temple
Lady Linshui Temple (Línshuǐ Fūrén Miào 臨水夫人廟) Right next door to the Koxinga Shrine is the Lady Linshui Temple (also called Madame Linshuei Temple, or Lady of Linshui Ma Temple). This is a largely feminine temple that focuses on the cult of Lady Linshui, the Goddess of Birth and Fertility. While many temples around Tainan … Continue reading
Kaiyuan Monastery
Kaiyuan Monastery (Kāiyuán Sì 開元寺) One of the most beautiful and historic temples in Tainan is also one of its least known due to its remote location. This historic place is reportedly the oldest monastery in Taiwan, and was the home of the Zheng family towards the end of their reign on the island. Today … Continue reading
Zhu Sanduo Temple
Zhu Sanduo Temple (Zhù Sānduō Miào 祝三多廟) There is more beneath the Dongmen Road Bridge than a couple of bars, some train tracks, and the toxic tunnel. There’s also a little piece of the east side’s cultural history being overshadowed by the unsightly overpass. Easily over-looked, this little temple actually dates back to 1717, and … Continue reading
Beiji Temple
Beiji Temple (Bēijí Diàn 北極殿) Commonly translated as the “North Pole Palace” or “Arctic Palace,” Beiji Temple is Tainan’s premier place of worship for honoring the Emperor of Mysterious Heaven, known as Xuán Wǔ (玄武) or Xuán Tiān Shàng Dì (玄天上帝). The temple is one of Tainan’s oldest, dating back to the arrival Zhèng Chénggōng … Continue reading
Fengshen Temple (Wind God Temple)
Fengshen Temple (Fēngshén Miào 風神廟) If you can imagine how important the wind is to sailors, you can probably infer how important a wind god temple would have been in the port area of Taiwan’s main sea gate. Located in the historic Five Channels Cultural Zone, this temple is not only the only Wind God … Continue reading
Fahua Temple
Fahua Temple (Fǎhuá Miào 法華寺) The great buzz of activity that surrounds many of the Taoist temples in Tainan can easily be countered by the monastic calm of Buddhist temples such as Fahua Temple in the southern part of the central district. In the early morning hours you can hear a deep chanting emanating from … Continue reading
Tainan City Guide 