Taoyuan Guandi Temple

Date CapturedJune 15th, 2015 at 12:14 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IIApertureƒ / 3.5Shutter Speed1/30 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO560Exposure Value8.5 EVOriginal Size1800 × 1200

Pictured here is the opulent ceiling above the main altar to Guān Yǔ (關羽), commonly known as Guāngōng (關公), inside the Guāndì Temple (關帝廟) in Taoyuan City. Despite the impressive artwork the temple itself is quite modest in size and breadth, a legacy of its original use as an ancestral shrine for the Xú (徐) family from Nánjìng County (南靖) in Fujian, China, built in 1841. This recessed ceiling is not nearly as old, however—it almost certainly dates back to the most recent renovation in 1996. For more information about this temple try this blog or Facebook page.