Religious, Spiritual sights in Tainan City
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Matsu Temple
The lively Matsu Temple once served as the palace of Ning Jin, the last king of the Ming dynasty. If you wish to confirm visually that a king's status is lower than an emperor's, count the steps to the shrine. There are only seven; an emperor would get nine.
Matsu is the most popular folk deity in Taiwan, with over 500 temples dedicated to her around the island.
Some features to note (besides the elaborate carvings and paintings) include the 300-year-old Matsu statue, and the shrine in the back to Matsu's parents in an area that used to be King Ning Jin's bedroom. Look up and you'll see the roof beam where the king's concubines hanged themselves so many years ago. For fun,…
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God of War Temple
This is the oldest and most impressive temple in Taiwan dedicated to Kuan Kung, a Han dynasty general deified as the war god.
The temple's overall size and structure were established in 1690, though much splendid artwork and many historically valuable objects have been added over the years. The long deep rose-colored walls of this temple have always been one of its highlights for us. Other interesting features to note are the beggar seats built into the doorframe (so that the poor could beg alms from every visitor), the high threshold at the entrance (originally designed to keep women out!), and the bamboo-shaped poem on a scroll at the back, which contain words said to h…
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C
City God Temple
The city god tallies our good and bad deeds in this life after we die. Hence it is not unusual that his image appears in the Dongyue Temple, dedicated to underworld, nor that these two temples are very close to each other.
When you enter the City God Temple you'll see two large abacuses. These are used to calculate if you have done more good than bad in life. Overhead is large sign with a gold inscription that translates roughly as 'You've come at last'.
The pink slips of paper you often see on the altar are from students asking for help to pass an exam. Yep, school is hell everywhere.
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D
Lady Linshui's Temple
The elaborate design and excessive ornamentation of Lady Linshui's Temple would clue most traditionally minded Chinese into the fact that it is dedicated to a woman - in this case, Lady Linshui.
For generations now, women have come to this temple to ask Lady Linshui to protect their children. This is demanding work and the goddess employs 36 assistants (three for each month), whose statuettes can be seen in little glass vaults around the inside walls of the temple.
In addition to offerings of incense, you'll often see flowers, face powder and make-up left at the temple.
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Altar of Heaven Temple
Have you had a run of bad luck lately? Then visit the Altar of Heaven Temple and pray to the supreme Taoist entity, the Jade Emperor (or Lord of Heaven), to help you out. Tainan families have been doing this for generations on the 1st and 15th of every month.
The temple is noteworthy for two things. First, it has no statue of the god. The original temple was established as a temporary measure - 300 years ago! Second, there's a famous Yī (One) inscription over the altar. Yi signifies that for heaven and earth there is only one true way: humanity and righteousness.
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Dongyue Temple
People often come to the Dongyue Temple to communicate with the dead through spiritual mediums. It's a fascinating place to catch a glimpse of Taiwanese folk culture. In addition, the grim murals on the walls of the second chamber are as graphic as the depictions of hell by Hieronymus Bosch: there are disembowelments, eye gougings, stabbings, boilings and so much more.
The first chamber of the temple holds the city god, Chenghuang; the second, Zizang Wang, the Buddhist king of the underworld; the last, a number of demon gods who rule the underworld.
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Anping Matsu Temple
The Anping Matsu Temple is yet another of the 'first' Matsu temples in Taiwan. But it does genuinely feature what many believe to be the oldest Matsu statue. It's not the one you think (the biggest one in the back shrine), however, but the middle one on the second row of smaller Matsu statues.
Near the altar you can pick up a little packet of 'safe rice' to take home. The packets are designed to keep you and your family safe.
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