Taiwan’s oldest city has at least 1,600 temples. For an introduction, here are three temples that should be visited.
I am walking to Tiantan Temple with Nai Wen Wei—or Amy as she wants me to address her—of the Tourism Bureau of the Tainan City Government for My Tainan Tour. The bureau’s free walking tour is open to visitors wishing to get to know Tainan through the eyes of a locals.
As a Ming Dynasty loyalist, Koxinga or Zheng Chenggong was the figure behind the spreading of Chinese culture in Taiwan, which now influences the island life. During the Qing Dynasty, cultural policies with Chinese orientation were seen here through the education system related to language, literature and religion.
Tiantan Temple is dedicated to the Jade Emperor or Tian Gong which means Altar of Heaven in Chinese. When problems arise, residents come to Tiantan Temple pray to Tian Gong. They do so in hopes of a change for their future. This is made possible when negative energy gets transferred to a straw doll. Locals flock to the temple every first and fifteenth day of the lunar month to pray for their families’ well-being.
An altar to Tian Gong stands in the main hall. The Ruler of Heaven is too mighty to be represented by a statue and hence a spirit tablet with Tian Gong’s name is placed on the altar instead. There is also another tablet placed at the altar with a straight line on it that reads Yi, or one in Chinese. This comes with a message: people cannot predict their fate because God can always change lives with just a single stroke.
After a visit to the major Taoist temple, I continue my walk to the Confucius Temple which takes around 15 to 20 minutes. This was once Taiwan’s only formal institution for higher education. The temple in Tainan is dedicated to Confucius, whom the world knows as a great teacher and philosopher during ancient Chinese times.
The red-brick main gate is noticeable from afar. I follow Amy’s steps to the Hall of Edification, an important part of the temple. The hall has a huge board with 205 words from The Great Learning, one of the works of Confucius. Two words read Ming Lun above the board meaning establishment of social order for human relationships controlled by religion, law, and awareness.
I enter Ta Cheng Palace, the main area of the Confucius Temple. Those who would like to go inside the grounds have to pay NT$50 for admission. There are more tablets here as I look up. Amy explains that every leader, including emperors of the Qing Dynasty and presidents of Taiwan, placed their tablets here. Those plates refer to words of praise toward Confucius. Taiwan’s current president Tsai Ing-wen gave hers in November 2016.
Another temple worth visiting is the Yaowang Temple on Shennong Street, arguably the best-preserved old street in Tainan. I walk to the the end of the street and I manage to spot the temple with its dragon ornaments on the exterior. A doctor named Shennong who lived in the Tang Dynasty era is worshipped as a deity here. To understand more about medicine, Shennong tried hundreds of herbs. Unfortunately, he also had poisonous herbs, thus ending his life. After the program concluded, I left with a better understanding that Tainan is surely keeping its rich traditions alive today thanks to its temples.
Photos by RANDY MULYANTO
