Chiayi
This temple was founded in 1694 when a monk brought a Mazu statue to the area. Like its neighbour, Fengtian Temple, Chaotian was at one time or another razed by fire, flood and earthquake. It was even occupied by Japanese troops in 1895. What you see today is what has been here since 1908 (except for the neon tigers). Note that its grand, open stone design is quite unlike most other temples in Taiwan.
Take Beigang-bound buses from Chiayi County Bus Service station.
Alishan Forest Recreation Area
26.71 MILES
Visiting Alishan may almost feel like a cliche, but do not lose heart. There may be equally beautiful and less-visited places in Taiwan, but Alishan, with…
National Palace Museum Southern Branch
6.53 MILES
Fans of historical art and antiques will have a field day here: there is exquisite Buddhist art from Asia's oldest civilisations, excellent displays on…
11.69 MILES
Ming Yuan was a pharmacy; now it's a shrine to Taiwan's indigenous flora. Owner Mr Tsai has managed to cram every corner of the tiny shop with unusual…
11.28 MILES
This is the spiritual centre of Chiayi and is dedicated to the City God. First constructed in 1715, many of the best parts of the temple hail from a 1941…
24.29 MILES
In focus here is Koji pottery that is used to embellish roof ridges and walls by sculptor Ye Wang (1826–87). The first such artist to be born in Taiwan …
27.78 MILES
It's not hard to see why a 1986 rockslide that killed 28 visitors closed Taichi Gorge to the public for over two decades. The precipitously high, narrow…
24.33 MILES
The magnificent Ciji Temple in the town centre of Xuejia worships the God of Doctors (保生大帝; Bosheng Dadi), a deified medical practitioner from Fujian who…
28.67 MILES
The heavy roller mills, boiling vats and centrifuges you see in this large and photogenic refinery once produced the largest volume of sugar per day in…
0.04 MILES
Beigang Old St is the long strip of Zhongshan Rd in front of Chaotian Temple. It's been a hub of commercial activity since the Qing dynasty, its…
0.97 MILES
Wude Temple is one of Taiwan's earliest and largest temples dedicated to the God of Wealth (財神), the folk deity whose bearded image graces doors and red…
2.84 MILES
This temple, founded in 1622, claims to be the first Mazu temple on mainland Taiwan. The original temple is said to have collapsed, been rebuilt,…
4. National Palace Museum Southern Branch
6.53 MILES
Fans of historical art and antiques will have a field day here: there is exquisite Buddhist art from Asia's oldest civilisations, excellent displays on…
5. Aogu Wetlands and Forest Park
10.57 MILES
The sprawling 15-sq-km wetland park includes mud beaches, marshes, lagoons, fish farms, beefwood forests and tracts of thick shrub. Dozens of bird species…
10.68 MILES
An old timber house is the lovely setting for this museum that throws light on the history and preservation of Taiwan's old tiles. The gorgeous patterns…
10.86 MILES
The Chiayi Municipal Cultural Center comprises a concert hall, a library, the Chiayi Municipal Museum, and the Koji Ceramic Museum in its basement. It's…
10.86 MILES
A museum dedicated to cochin (koji), a low-fired, brightly coloured glaze style of ceramic traditionally used for temple decoration. It’s in the basement…