宗教廟宇

Located behind Yanping Koxinga Temple, Lady Linshui Temple(臨水夫人廟) was built in 1736. It enshrines Lady Linshui, Chen Jing-gu. It is said that she was extremely clever and had psychic powers as a child. When a serious drought struck Fujian Province in China, despite being several months pregnant, Chen set up at altar and prayed for rain. While she successfully brought rain, during her efforts she disturbed her fetus, suffered a miscarriage and died: In her last words she swore: “I will be the midwifery goddess after death, helping women who suffer difficult labor”.

Kailong Temple is the temple with the longest history of worship of the Seven Star Goddess(七星娘娘) in Taiwan. Its images of female kindness are believed to give blessings to children, and its seven fairy images are interpreted as bringing good fortune in romance and relationships. Kailong Temple(開隆宮) is well known in Taiwan for its coming of age ceremony, where every Qixi Festival (七夕Chinese Valentine’s Day) parents from all over Taiwan bring their 16 year old children to participate in the incredible adulthood ceremony.

Known as “Taiwan’s first temple,”Xiluo Temple is an extremely important temple in the Five Channels area. It was built by a man surnamed Kuo during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty in 1718. Enshrining GuangZeZun Wang (Guangze King) (廣澤尊王), it has a long history and attracts many worshippers. The temple houses many precious plaques, such as En You Quan Tai(Blessing all of Taiwan;恩祐全台)presented by the Xianfeng Emperor and Bao An Tian Xia (Protect the nation;保安天下), one presented by the Guangxu Emperor, another by President Chiang Ching-kuo.

When visiting the Confucian temple (孔廟) area, taking a stroll around the sights and sounds of Fuzhong Street (府中街) should not be overlooked. Try one of the famous fried instant noodle shops from within the brimming alley and from where you can also smell the incense that wafts from the nearby temple. This temple is the Yonghua Temple (永華宮), dedicated to the the GuangzeZunwang (Guangze King), and was originally a place that enshrined General Chen yonghua (陳永華).

The white, elegant church next to Tang Te-chang Memorial Park (湯德章紀念公園) was founded in 1865 by Dr. James Laidlow Maxwell (馬雅各), missionary of the British Presbyterian Church(英國長老教會). The Church towers over the district in exotic foreign style, and it has had a strong connection with the area for centuries. The Tai Peng Keng Church is now a memorial to Dr. Maxwell.

Beiji Temple(北極殿) mainly worships Beiji Xuan Tian Shang Di, and lies above Jiuling(鷲嶺), a relatively high point in Tainan. Because of the Northern Black Tortoise, unlike other temples, Beiji Temple uses black as its main color. The temple currently has the oldest horizontal plaque in Tainan, the "Wei Xian He Yi" plaque (威顯赫奕)from 1669, presented by King Ning Jing Wang Zhu Shu-gui.

On Xinmei Street(新美街), also known as Divination Lane, there is Kaiji Martial Temple(開基武廟), also known as Guan Di Gang Temple(關帝港廟). Back when boats could still enter the city center, thetemple was not far from a river port. An unusual feature of the temple is the use of door nails instead of Door Gods, as well as an old bell that has been hanging there since 1858. There are also many historic plaques, such as the "Xing Da Dao(行大道)" of the Jiaqing Reign, and the "Li Ren Ji(立人極)" of the Guangxu Reign, all must-see features of the temple.

The “Premier Academy of Taiwan” (全台首學) has more than three hundred years of history as a Confucian temple, and it would be safe to say that this place is the heart of Tainan as an ancient capital of culture. The seemingly impenetrable red wall which stretches along Nanmen Road (南門路) is of sacred appearance in the sunlight, and embodies the unique charm of the ancient city of Tainan, which has this historical Confucian temple sitting at its heart.

At the intersection of Kaishan Road and Fucheng Road (開山路與府前路), atop the Shrine's horseback roof, a majestic statue of Koxinga looks out as if he, Tainan’s protector god, is present in the hearts of all the people of Tainan. The shrine is a red Fuzhou style building with Japanese atmosphere. Take a close look at the eight Door Gods on the four doors inside and you will see they all have blue eyes and white skin, looking like Westerners.

Chongqing Temple has a long history, dating back to 1778. Located in a narrow lane behind the National Museum of Taiwan Literature, it enshrines Guanyin Bodhisattva. The temple was moved to its current site in 1916. Despite being relocated and damaged by US bombing in World War II, it is still solemn and imposing.