[November 2016, April 2017, and March 2016]
THIS PAGE IS
STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS
Reminder from the first
page (1/2) on Kaohsiung City:
- Every consecutive
sequence of photos taken during the same trip is labeled by the date of the
trip at the very end of the sequence.
-To see the locations
of the places pictured in the photos, click here. A Google map with markers
will then open in a new tab. The red markers point to places featured in the
first page, while blue markers are for places in this second page.
Around the Lotus Pond (蓮池潭)
The Lotus Pond, an
artificial lake created in 1951, is located north of the urban center of
Kaohsiung City. The following photos were
taken at various locations situated around this lake.
Gates of the old city of Zuoying
(左營舊城):
During the Qing
Dynasty, this city (also known as the old city of Fengshan
County, 鳳山縣舊城) was the seat of the Fengshan County. Little remains of it except a few sections
of defensive walls and four large gates. When I returned there in March 2016,
two of the gates and most of the wall were being renovated and not accessible.
The South Gate, also
called the Qiwen Gate (啟文門). The former defensive walls connected to this gate
were removed some years ago to create a traffic circle around the gate.
[March 2026]
The North Gate, also
called the Gongchen Gate (拱辰門).
[April 2017]
Close-ups on sculptures
(visible in the photo above on either side of the passageway). They represent
two door gods (门神), named Shenshu (神荼) and Yulu (鬱壘), who are believed to
ward off evil.
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[March 2026]
Dragon and Tiger Pagodas (龍虎塔):
Built in 1976, these
two pagodas stand on the southern shore of the Lotus pond and are connected to
one another. It is said that entering through the dragon′s mouth and
exiting through the tiger′s turns bad luck into good fortune. A long
bridge made of gray stone traces nine sharp turns to reach the pagodas. Walking
along this bridge is reputed to ward off evil spirits.
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[April 2017]
Chiji temple (左營城邑慈濟宮):
Also located on the
southern shore of the Lotus lake, this temple was originally located in the old
city of Zuoying. It was reconstructed at its current
location in 1962 and reconstructed again between 2004 and 2008. It is mainly
dedicated to Baosheng Dadi (保生大帝), also known as Dadao
Gong, the folk God of Medicine, a deified physician and healer named Wu Tao
(979-1036CE) who lived in the Fujian province of China.
[March 2026]
Zuoying Chiming temple (左營啟明堂):
This temple is
primarily dedicated to Confucius (the Sage of Literature) and Guanyu (the Sage
of War), yet dozens of other deities, including Buddhist ones, are worshipped
here. Built at this location in the 1960s to replace a dilapidated Guandi temple located in the old city of Zuoying, it was reconstructed in several stages during the
early 1990s.
Both Guandi (关帝) and Guangong (关公) are the names referring
to the Taoist God of War, a deified general named Guanyu (关羽) during his lifetime.
Most temples dedicated to the God of War employ the names Guandi
or Guangong. This temple's use of the name Guanyu may
aim to emphasize the general's renowned moral virtues (in particular,
righteousness and loyalty), rather than his martial skill prowess, thereby
firmly establishing a parallel with Confucius.
Facade of the temple.
Altar in the main hall,
featuring Guanyu in the center and Confucius behind him.
Altar featuring the Jade Emperor (玉皇上帝).
The Sanguan
Dadi (三官大帝) altar. The statues
represent the deities who preside over the three domains of Heaven, Earth, and
Water.
Left:
Patriarch Mu Gong (木公老祖). Right: The
Golden Mother (金母娘娘).
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Fresco in the Fish Pond
Courtyard (中庭鱼池).
Painting in the temple.
[March 2026]
Spring and Autumn Pavilions (春秋閣):
This odd structure
faces the Zuoying Chiming temple featured above, to
which it belongs. Built on stilts upon the shallow waters of the Lotus pond, it
consists of two four-story, pagoda-shaped octagonal pavilions, dedicated
respectively to Confucius and Guanyu. Standing between them are the statues of
three figures riding a dragon. The white statue depicts Guanyin. The entire
structure may serve to underscore the temple's message of wisdom and religious
inclusivity.
[April 2017]
Zuoying Yuandi temple (左營元帝廟):
This temple was founded
in the late 17th century, but it has been reconstructed and renovated several
times since then. The current structure is for the most part a reconstruction
of the mid-1970s. The main Taoist deity worshipped there is Xuantian
Shangdi (玄天上帝), also known as the ″God
Emperor of the North Pole″ and the ″Supreme Emperor of the Dark
Heaven″, along with other deities, including the Buddhist deity Guanyin.
Facade of the temple.
Altar of the main hall
with a statue of Xuantian Shangdi.
Details of the superbvly carved columns in the main hall.
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[March 2026]
Beiji (″North Pole″) Pavilion (北极亭):
This pavilion is an
extension of the Zuoying Yuandi
temple featured above. It is built on stilts upon the lake and is accessed via
a long, straight bridge lined with statues on both sides. Like the temple it is
dedicated to Xuantian Shangdi (玄天上帝).
Photos of the bridge, the
pavilion, and the massive statue of Xuantian Shangdi seated above the pavilion. The railings on both
sides of the bridge are made of carved stone slabs, separated by statues of
guardians, probably generals and civil officials. The ensemble formed by the
pavilion and the statue of Xuantian Shangdi is 24m high above the lake. The sword in the god's
hand is 11.5m in length.
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Inside the pavilion.
Left: Another statue of Xuantian Shangdi. Right and
below: Wall paintings.
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[April 2017]
Kaohsiung City temple of Confucius (高雄左營孔子廟):
This temple was
constructed between 1974 and 1976, in the northern-China style of the Forbidden
Palace in Beijing. It consists of several large buildings.
The Lingxing
Gate (欞星門), the entrance to the
temple, is a huge archway symbolizing access to a place of learning and
worship. The closest building partially visible behind the archway is the Dacheng Gate, which opens into the main courtyard of the
temple.
The Dacheng
hall (hall of Great Achievement), the temple's main hall, stands in the middle
of a vast courtyard surrounded by the Dacheng Gate, the
East and West walls on its two sides, and the Chongsheng
hall (not visible) in the back.
Shrine in the Dacheng hall housing the spirit tablet of Confucius, which
embodies his teachings.
Side view of the
interior of the Dacheng hall. Two shrines on either
side of the hall (only one is visible in the photo) house other spirit tablets:
those of four main disciples of Confucius, known as the Four Sages (四配), and those of twelve
eminent figures in the Confucian tradition, referred to as the Twelve
Philosophers (十二哲). Eight tablets are
placed in each side shrine.
The Chongsheng
hall. It is dedicated to ancestors of Confucius, especially his father Shuliang He, and to the fathers of the Four Sages and
Twelve Philosophers.
Tablets in the Chongsheng hall.
Tablets of other
Confucian sages and scholars in the East hall. The West hall features a similar
arrangement.
[March 2026]
Zhouzai Qingshui Temple (洲仔清水宮):
This temple is
dedicated to Master Qingshui (清水祖師).
Left: An unusually
shaped joss paper burner in the frontyard of the
temple. Right: Facade of the temple. A statue of Master Qingshui
seats on the temple's roof.
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Altars in the main
hall, featuring Master Qingshui in the middle.
Other deities in the
temple. The deity in the left photo is Fude Zhengshen
(福德正神), the Earth God (also
known as the God of Fortune).
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[March 2026]
Around Jinshi Lake (金獅湖)
The Jinshi lake
is located northeast of the urban center of Kaohsiung City. Photos of three
temples are shown below. Two of them stand on the shores of the lake. The third
is located a short distance southeast from the lake.
Kaohsiung Daode temple (高雄道德院):
This temple (also known
as the Kaohsiung Morality Academy) was constructed in 1960. It is mainly
dedicated to Lao Tzu (太上老君), also called Laozi,
the principal deity and supreme lord of morality in Taoism. A number of other
Taoist and Buddhist deities are also worshiped here, including Xuantian Shangdi (玄天上帝, the Emperor of the Dark Heaven), Guanyin, the
Southern Dipper Star Lord (南斗星君), and the Northern Star Dipper Lord (北斗星君). Confucius is also venerated at this
temple.
View of the facade of the temple above
the Jinshi lake.
The central part of the temple's roof viewed from the top floor of the
temple.
Statues of guardians of the temple.
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The grand altar in the temple's main hall. The statue of the Supreme Lord
Lao Tsu (太上道祖) stands in the central section. The section on the right features the
Most Holy Sage and Teacher (至聖先師), namely
Confucius. The section on the left is dedicated to Guanyin (觀音大士).
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Altar dedicated to the founder of the temple, referred to as ″The
Patriarch″.
Other figures.
Ceiling with the usual Taoist yin and yang circular symbol at the center.
Here, this symbol is surrounded by another representation of yin and yang,
known as a bagua (八卦). It consists of eight trigrams, each made of distinct combination of
yin (broken lines) and yang (solid line).
Some of the many decorations in the temple.
[March 2026]
Fudingjin Baoan temple (高雄覆鼎金保安宮):
Originally built in
1883, this Taoist temple was relocated and reconstructed at its current
location in 1998. It is mainly dedicated to Li Nezha (李哪吒), also known as the
Third Prince (三太子) and the Marshal of
the Central Altar (中坛元帅).
Archway to a bridge
spanning the Jinshi lake, which leads to the temple.
The railings of the bridge support two long rows of guardian lions.
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Facade of the temple.
One of the two stone lions standing on a ball, warding off evil spirits
below the temple.
Altar of the main hall.
[March 2026]
Niaosong Qibgyun temple (鳥松山仔腳青雲宮):
I had not planned on
visiting this temple. But as I was strolling through this neighborhood of
Kaohsiung, I happened to pass by and decided to stop in, mostly because of its
magnificent roof. It is dedicated to Shennong, an
important Taoist deity who holds many titles, such as ″Great Emperor
Shennong″ (神農大帝). Legend has it that
he taught people medicine and farming, a contribution that earned him one of
his other titles, ″King of the Five Grains″ (五谷王).
Facade of the temple.
Colorful sculptures, called ″jiannian″
(剪黏, literally ″cut
and stick″), on the two sides of the roof.
Main altar featuring
Emperor Shennong.
Large bas-relief mural
in the main hall of the temple.
[March 2026]
Qishan (旗山)
Qishan is the only town in the suburban
Qishan district (旗山區) of the municipality of Kaohsiung City.
It is located some 35km northeast of Kaohsiung City's urban center. During the
Japanese colonial era, it was an important distribution center for bananas and
sugarcane.
Qishan Old
Street:
This is the main commercial street of Qishan. It is lined with
century-old houses, many of which are adorned with Baroque-style roof
pediments, and some with red-brick walls.
[March 2026]
Qishan Tianhou temple (旗山天后宮):
This classical Taoist temple dedicated to Mazu (妈祖), the Heavenly Holy Mother (天上圣母), was first built in 1824, largely renovated after World War II, and
renovated again several times since. The most recent renovation dates from
2011.
Central portion of the roof, adorned with the Sanxing
(三星), in the middle. The Sanxing (meaning ″three
stars″) represents three gods, from right to
left: the God of Fortune Fu (福星), the God of Prosperity Lu (祿星), and the God of Longevity Shou (壽星). Together they symbolize three attributes of a good life.
Close-ups of the capitals of the two main square pillars, adorned with
sculptures of figures that appear to support the roof on their backs.
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Lanterns hanging at the
entrance of the temple.
Main hall.
Statues of guardian
deities.
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Statue of Hu Ye (虎爺), the Tiger deity,
revered as a protective and benevolent guardian.
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[March 2026]
Kaohsiung
City Qishan Confucius temple (高雄市旗山孔子廟):
Despite being a small town, Qishan has an unexpectedly huge and beautiful
Confucius temple. In fact, it is the largest Confucius temple in Taiwan. Its
construction was completed in 1985. Its building layout is very similar to
the one of the Kaohsiung City temple of Confucius (高雄左營孔子廟) and it also imitates
the northern-China style of the Forbidden Palace in Beijing.
The Lingxing
Gate (欞星門).
The Dacheng
hall.
The Confucius tablet in the Dacheng Hall.
Another view of the interior of the Dacheng
hall showing two tablets of Four Sages (四配) and six tablets of the Twelve Philosophers (十二哲).
The Chongsheng
hall.
Tablets in the Chongsheng hall.
[March 2026]
Qishan Baihe
(White Crane) temple (旗山白鶴寺):
This temple was founded in 1958 and has very likely been renovated
several times since then. It is dedicated to the Buddhist deity Guanyin, the
Bodhisattva of Compassion and Mercy.
Massive archway at the top of a staircase leading to the temple.
Facade of the temple.
Close-up of the central
portion of the roof, adorned with the Sanxing (三星), in the middle.
Main altar featuring a
gilded statue of Guanyin. The statue has multiple arms, symbolizing Ganyin's ability to help many sentient beings. The
characters inscribed on the red tablet above the altar, which translate to ″Great
Compassion, Great Kindness″, underscore this message.
[March 2026]
Meinong (美濃)
Meinong is the only town in the
suburban Meinong District (美濃區) of the municipality of Kaohsiung City.
It is located about 10km east of Qishan. The area is a center of Hakka culture.
The Hakka are descendants of a group of nomadic peoples originating from
northern China, who migrated to southern China much later than other Han
Chinese settlers. So, they were forced to locate their settlements on less
fertile land. Consequently, they migrated later to Taiwan, where they also had
to occupy marginal lands. In Taiwan, they still keep a strong sense of
community and have their own dialect and culture.
Meinong Guangshan temple (美濃廣善堂):
This temple was founded in 1916. It was initially dedicated to Guanyu (关羽). In 1933, another hall was constructed enshrining the Jade Emperor (玉皇上帝). New buildings were added after World War II. Today the temple is
dedicated to various deities, including the God of Culture and Literature
Wenchang Dijun (文昌帝君), in addition to Guanyin and the Jade Emperor.
Built at the foot of a hillside, the temple consists of multiple
buildings added over the years. The resulting profile of its roofline is quite
complex.
Mural depicting the Sanxing (三星).
Entrance of the
temple's main hall.
Left: Altar dedicated
to three deities. Right: Altar dedicated to Wenchang Dijun. Known as Tianlong
(Heavenly Deaf) and Diya (Earthly Dumb), his two attendants symbolize the
keeping of secrets regarding examination results.
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Lecture hall dating back
to the Japanese era, which has remained almost unchanged. The seven-character
plaque situated above the door translates as: ″Etiquette exists, and
literature guides me″, a typical Confucian message.
[March 2026]
Meinong
Zhuang Jingziti (瀰濃庄敬字亭):
The term ″jingziti″
(敬字亭) means ″reverence-for-script pavilion″. It is the name for a
special-kind of paper-burning tower. It looks like the common joss paper
burners found at most Taiwanese temples, which are used to burn spirit money
for deities. But its purpose is very different. According to Confucian thought, any paper bearing written
characters should be regarded as sacred and should not be discarded in a
disrespectful manner. A Jingziti is a kiln used to
burn such used paper in a solemn manner, thereby honoring the written word, the
culture it embodies, and the scholars who created it. The resulting ashes are
then collected and scattered into a river or another clean location. In
Taiwan, this ancient Chinese tradition used to be deeply rooted within the
Hakka community.
[March 2026]
Meinong Tianhou temple (美濃天后宮):
This temple was founded in 1816. It enshrines the Taoist Heavenly Mother
Mazu (妈祖).
Main hall.
Decoration of the upper part of two circular pillars.
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Altar dedicated to Mazu, flanked by guardian deities on either side.
Altar featuring other deities.
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[March 2026]
Meinong Lin
Chunyu (林春雨) house:
This house was built by Lin Chunyu, the head of the local Lin family,
known as the ″Tobacco King″ of Meinong, during the Japanese
colonial era. It is located on Yong'an Road (永安路), commonly referred to as Meinong Old Street.
Entrance gate of the house compound.
House's kitchen.
Ancestral shine in the house.
[March 2026]
Other
ancestral shrines in Meinong Old Street:
When I visited Meinong, several other ancestor shrines of Hakka families,
scattered along Meinong Old Street, were open. Here are some of them.
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[March 2026]
Fo Guang Shan Buddha museum (佛光山佛陀紀念館)
The Fo Guang Shan
Buddha Museum is located in the Dahu district
of the municipality of Kaohsiung City, some 20km northeast from Kaohsiung urban
center. Its construction started in 2008 and was completed in 2011. Covering a
large area, its overall layout is impressive and magnificent. However, the
buildings themselves are less so. The eight pagodas flanking the Great Path to
the huge gilded Buddha statue in the back of the compound and the four
Indian-style white stupas at the corners of the Main Hall definitively lack the
elegance of older pagodas and stupas. In addition, the mercantile atmosphere
throughout most of the museum grounds (shops, restaurants, even a Starbucks,
and exhibitions) is distracting. Nevertheless, it is still worth visiting it.
Map of the museum (not
one of my photos!)
The large statue of
Buddha, standing behind the Main Hall.
Row of pagodas lining one
side (the right one) of the path leading to the Main Hall.
[March 2016]