Fo Guang Shan Monastery (Dashu District)
Overview
A. History
In 1949, during the Chinese Civil War, Master Hsing Yun, the founding monk, fled to Taiwan at the same time as the KMT government. Master Hsing Yun observed the decline of Buddhist education and the personalization of Buddhism propagation. In order to establish standardized regulations, glorify Dharma, and purify the human mind, he believed it was crucial to establish a monastery in Taiwan. It was with this dedication that Foguangshan was founded, and eventually grew into an international center for the devout.
B. Attractions
1. Buddha Memorial Center
The most distinctive landmark is the largest seated Buddha in the world. Within the compound, visitors will find a children’s gallery, a cultural exhibition hall, art galleries, a theater, and souvenir stores. In addition, visitors can experience Tea Chan, sutra transcription, or join in festive celebrations at the Five Harmonies Pagoda. The center enshrines the Buddha’s tooth relic now housed in the Main Hall. Apart from galleries and exhibition halls, the Great Enlightenment Auditorium can accommodate 2,000 people for art performances and international forums.
2. Sutra Repository
The Amitabha Chanting Plaza in front of the Sutra Repository faces east, overlooking the Gaoping River and providing a clear line of sight and calming atmosphere. Visitors will encounter spiritual scenery and gorgeous views. While strolling in the northern alley, one can grasp a panoramic view, and a Pure Land is in front of you. Looking up at the arches, one will read, “The Gate of Compassion, the Gate of Wisdom, and the Gate of Enlightenment.” These mottos ask the public to be compassionate, wise, and devoted to the benefit all.
Tastes & Scenery of the Neighborhood
Suspension Bridge, I-Da Theme Park, Juang Family’s Old House, & Ligang’s wonton and pig’s feet
Gangshan Shoutian Temple (Gangshan District)
Overview
A. History
Shoutian Temple in Gangshan, founded in the 51st year of the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty (around 1707), is a branch of Tainan’s Grand Mazu Temple. It was later relocated to the intersection of Weizen and Heping roads in Gangshan. Under the pretext of flood mitigation and city remodeling, the Japanese colonial authorities dismantled the temple. After 1945, local worthies Yang Fu, Wu Ren-tai, and Dai Liang-ching quickly formed a committee to rebuild the temple at its current location of no. 40, Gongyuan Road, Shoutian, Gangshan District (originally the seat of a Japanese shrine.)
B. Attractions
1. The temple preserves a number of relics showing traces from the Japanese period, such as the pair of unusual stone lions in front of the main hall. Two cultural relics in the temple are of special significance. The first is a stone called the Agongdian Decaliter, because the cavity on top measures one decaliter and was used as a vessel for measuring rice. Whenever a dispute arose while trading rice, this was used as the standard. The second is a stele from 1776 that celebrates the construction of a flood-prevention embankment.
2. Gangshan’s Shoutian Temple showcases an unconventional interpretation of temple art while collaborating with local industry. The temple authorized National Kaohsiung Normal University to create the Steel-Nut Matsu Statue, along with her guardians Qianliyan (“Thousand Miles Eye”) and Shunfenger (“Wind-Following Ear”) using a total of 25,000 metal nuts and 3,000 screws. The world’s first and only Steel-Nut Matsu Tower stands in front of the temple’s main hall for all to admire during the annual festival.
Tastes & Scenery of the Neighborhood
Around Gangshan’s old street you can see the artistry of traditional Japanese-style and Western-style architecture. The Good Luck Dispensary features Baroque architecture; the Ming Kuang Eye Clinic has modern Western characteristics; the He Chun herbal store showcases a Meiji-styled house around the corner; and Tai Yuan Clinic is typical of a Japanese high-rise at that time. Famous local delicacies include lamb, honey, and spicy chili paste.
Daitian Temple
Overview
A. History
Built in 1951, Daitian Temple can be traced to the fifth year of the Showa period, during the period of Japanese rule, when people from what is now Beimen District in Tainan City relocated to the Hamasen area to make a living. They brought with them their traditional beliefs by transferring Master Cingshuei from its original Baoan Temple to Kaohsiung as a source of spiritual solace. In 1949, devotees gathered and discussed building a temple to enshrine all their deities, inviting Wufuciansuei from Beimen’s Nankunshen Daitian Temple and Chifuciansuei from Keliao Baoan Temple to lead the discussion. After the ceremony, Wufuciansuei designated the location for construction and named it Kaohsiung Daitian Temple to enshrine Wufuciansuei of Nankunshen Daitian Temple, Chifuciansuei of Keliao Baoan Temple, and Master Cingshuei.
B. Attractions
Daitian Temple is a hot spot where locals and tourists can savor many luscious traditional street snacks. The temple’s museum invites visitors to enjoy an abundant collection of masterpieces, including Pan Li-shui’s paintings and Tsai Yuan-heng’s Chinese calligraphy. These exquisite works are showcased alongside historical records, religious arts, and relics.
Tastes & Scenery of the Neighborhood
Love River, Cijin, Windmill Park, the War and Peace Memorial Park, Cihou Fort, Star Tunnel, Wude Martial Arts Center, the British Consulate at Takow, Sizihwan Bay Tunnel, Ferry Wharf Park, Sizihwan Bay Chiang Kai-shek Villa, National Sun Yat-sen University, North Gate of Xiong Town, Chaishan, Shoushan Zoo, Takao Renaissance Association, Hamasen Railway Cultural Park, and Pier-2 Art Center.
I-Kuan Tao Shenwei Tiantai Mountain, Kaohsiung
Overview
A. History
There are 24 branches of the I-Kuan Tao (also spelled Yiguandao) religion. Lin Chai-ching (born 1937), a follower of the Baoguang Jiande branch, first became leader to adherents from Singapore and Malaysia, and became leader of the Baoguang Jiande branch in 2001. The I-Kuan Tao Shenwei Tiantai Mountain complex was established by Lin and took several years to build. Construction was completed in 2008. Situated in a tranquil valley in Kaohsiung’s Liouguei District, the monastery gives I-Kuan Tao followers and others a place to cleanse their minds and purify themselves. The complex occupies around 300 hectares. With three main halls—Baiyang Hall, Zushi Hall, and Laomu Hall—it is the biggest I-Kuan Tao complex in Asia. The monastery has hosted several religious assemblies in recent years, and served as a venue for various religious activities. In 2015, the first government-recognised I-Kuan Tao university was established in the complex.
B. Significance
I-Kuan Tao Shenwei Tiantai Mountain Monastery is the biggest monastery complex belonging to I-Kuan Tao’s Baoguang Jiande branch in Taiwan, and also the largest I-Kuan Tao monastery complex in Asia. The buildings that make up the complex are primarily gold and white in color, and were built in the style of a traditional Chinese palace. The roofs are covered in gilt-glazed tiles. The entire complex has a classical yet modern appearance, making it one of Taiwan’s most spectacular religious centers. The complex also reflects the increasing modernization and internationalization of the I-Kuan Tao sect. The clean lines of the buildings harmonize with I-Kuan Tao beliefs, and exemplify their teachings.
Reminders
The complex is open daily to the public from 6 am to 5 pm. Visitors are asked to read and follow the guidelines posted outside the three main halls before entering. Food and drink are available inside.
Minor Basilica-Cathedral of the Holy Rosary, Kaohsiung
Overview
A. History
The Holy Rosary Minor Basilica-Cathedral is sometimes referred to as Rosary Church or Cianjin Catholic Church. After the signing of the Treaty of Tianjin in 1858, missionaries were permitted to proselytise across the Qing Empire, which included Taiwan. Spanish Dominican friars Fernando Sainz and Angel Bofurull soon came to Taiwan to preach the gospel. Along with four local believers, they purchased the site of today’s cathedral in Kaohsiung’s Cianjin District and built a mission house using straw. A few years later, they began building a church using redbricks, local mud-bricks, coral, and concrete. Construction was completed in 1863. The church was named The Holy Rosary Church after a statue of the Holy Mother was brought from Spain and enshrined in the church. The church was rebuilt between 1928 and 1931 in order to become a cathedral. In 1948, it was officially elevated to cathedral status, and then later to a minor basilica (a title of honor granted to special Catholic churches).
The building underwent several renovations before 1995, when the wooden interior was rebuilt using steel. The design is a mixture of Gothic and Romanesque styles, forming a strong and firm vertical appearance. The dedication ceremony to become a minor basilica was held in 1998. In 2001, Holy Rosary Minor Basilica-Cathedral was named one of the top 10 religious sites in Kaohsiung.
B. Significance
The Holy Rosary Minor Basilica-Cathedral was the first Catholic church in Taiwan and one of the first three major Catholic churches in Asia. As the starting place for Catholicism in Taiwan, the building has been given the title of cathedral, and then it became a minor basilica. In terms of its architecture, the church has a magnificent design comprised of Gothic and Romanesque steeples, arched windows, and rose windows. Its elegant exterior is particularly eye-catching, nestled as it is among the modern buildings nearby. Truly one of the most beautifully decorated Catholic churches in Taiwan, for over 100 years it has served as a religious center for Catholics in south Taiwan. The Holy Rosary Minor Basilica-Cathedral is therefore a building of both great religious and artistic value.
Reminders
While Mass is primarily for practicing Catholics, other visitors are welcome to tour the church at other times. Since volunteer guides are limited, visitors are encouraged to contact the church prior to their visit. Everyone is required to wear modest clothing and carefully follow the guide. Taking photos inside is forbidden unless special permission is given. Couples who wish to have a priest conduct their wedding should make a request in advance.
Shunxian Temple, Neimen
Overview
A. History
In 1756, a merchant surnamed Huang from Guangdong Province in China journeyed to Taiwan on business. He carried a statue of Mazu from Sima Temple in Chaozhou’s Jinshan District with him for safety on his journey, and enshrined the statue in his residence in Tainan. It is said that fights and unrest constantly broke out among the residents of his village, and Huang often intervened to resolve their disputes. He gained a distinguished reputation, and introduced Mazu to them. The goddess became revered for answering villagers’ prayers, and the locals decided to build a temple to enshrine her statue. In 1949, Huang’s descendants relocated to Kaohsiung. After receiving approval from Mazu through poe divination (in which moon-shaped wooden blocks are thrown and the way they land is interpreted to determine divine guidance), worshippers moved the statue to a new temple in Kaohsiung. However, the new temple was located downtown and was cramped, especially during festivals. Accordingly, in 2000 it was once again relocated—this time to Neimen—and renamed Shunxian Temple. Worshippers formed a Song Jiang Battle Array religious performance troupe to perform at festivals, and years of training and careful organization have made this troupe famous throughout Taiwan.
B. Significance
Neimen’s Shunxian Temple, Zizhu Temple, and Nanhai Zizhu Temple are important religious institutions promoting the tradition of the Song Jiang Battle Array. The folk arts troupes trained here have performed worldwide, adding a new vitality to the promotion of Taiwanese culture. Shunxian Temple’s Song Jiang Battle Array is both a religious and a folk-arts performance. The troupe is funded by the temple and regularly practices at a fixed location, unlike other groups which are temporarily assembled ahead of festivals. It has thus acquired the title “the perpetual Song Jiang Battle Array.”
Reminders
Shunxian Temple is open from 5 am to 9 pm every day. For questions concerning religious events, worshipping, or to make reservations to stay at the pilgrims’ hostel, the Yixian Service and Event Center, please visit the official website at http://www.shunsian.org or call (07) 667-4820.
Song Jiang Battle Array, Neimen
Overview
A. History
The Song Jiang Battle Array is a traditional martial-arts performance troupe. During the Qing dynasty, settlers had to band together to defend their villages from bandits because the government was unable to offer protection. Some theories ascribe the origins of the battle array to the character Song Jiang and his band of outlaws in the classic 14th-century novel Water Margin by Shi Nai-an, others to the 15th-century Ming dynasty General Qi Ji-guang, who defended China’s east coast against Japanese pirates with his rattan shield division and “Mandarin duck” formation. No historical evidence supports these theories, yet many of the weapons employed by present-day Song Jiang troupes were described in Water Margin. Over the years, the Song Jiang Battle Array evolved to include the Golden Lion and White Crane troupes. The troupes also began to take on the responsibility of protecting the palanquins of deities that are carried during processions and folk festivals. Neimen’s Song Jiang Battle Array is at once an arts performance and a military formation. At least 30 troupes are based in Neimen. The annual battle array festival is held around the time of the birthday of the Buddhist goddess Guanyin (usually late March or early April), and the scope of the festival grows larger with each passing year. It now includes a competition featuring high school and college troupes, and has been named one of Taiwan’s twelve major local festivals.
B. Significance
The Song Jiang Battle Array festival features folk-arts performance troupes that owe their origins to the troupes that received, accompanied, and protected palanquins carrying deities on pilgrimage processions in Luohanmen (the former name of Neimen) over two hundred years ago. The troupes were made up of local residents, and meticulous records of the evolution of the troupes and formations show their grassroots origins. The battle array was originally organized as a way to enhance physical training and defend and unite the town. Over time, it became a religious activity to entertain deities and later a famous folk art. The battle array is a microcosm reflecting social and political changes in Taiwan over the past decade. Today, the festival provides a platform for troupes to pass on their traditions and express their innovative spirit. It has also developed into an important cultural tourism event.
Reminders
Those attending the Song Jiang Battle Array Festival should observe certain rules. They must not walk amongst the troupes during performances, must not stand between troupes and the front entrance of a temple, and may not touch the weapons used in the troupe performances.
