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A temple venerating Yuhuang Dadi (玉皇大帝), the Jade Emperor, with a claim to the title of oldest temple in Taiwan. According to legend the pirate-king Koxinga established a shrine on this site in 1661 but a permanent structure wasn’t constructed until 1854. It is also home to one of the most famous plaques in Tainan; the inscription reads simply “one” (一), symbolizing the division of heaven and earth. Also known in English as the Altar of Heaven.
Map
Heritage Status
- Municipal Monument (直轄市定古蹟)
Recorded On
Links
- Wikipedia in Chinese (中文維基百科)
- Cultural Assets Bureau (文化部文化資產局)
- Taiwan Religious Cultural Map (臺灣宗教文化地圖)
Themes
- Temple Culture in Taiwan (台灣的寺廟文化)
- Koxinga’s Legacy (國姓爺的歷史影響)
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Author
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I am a web application developer, photojournalist, urban explorer, and history enthusiast passionate about the open web and documenting my experiences on this planet. This project was founded in the early 2010s and has evolved into a sort of personal Wikipedia of places that interest me (and often the photographs I’ve taken there). I’m originally from Toronto, Canada, but spend most of my time residing in Taiwan.