tourism in Tainan, Taiwan: Koxinga Shrine

Koxinga Shrine

the front gate

granite statue of Guoxingye

benediction tablets are hung

courtyard of the shrine

The Guoxingye's Shrine (Yanping Junwang Temple), located by Kaishan Road surrounded by trees, is the only Fujianese style shrine in Taiwan.
This is the shrine built in memory of the work and achievement of Cheng Cheng Kung, the pioneer of Taiwan.
About Cheng Cheng Kung and his influence on Taiwan:
Cheng Cheng Kung was originally called Cheng Sun, a native in County Fujian.
His father, Cheng Chi Lung, was a wanderer in his early days.
He has been a merchant as well as a pirate.
His mother was a Japanese lady called Tagawa.
Cheng was born with great intelligence.
Not only was he diligent in his studies, but he also has a huge ambition to achieve something big, i.e. to become someone who are good in both academic work and in the military field.
By the time he was 21 years old, Wu San Kwei led the Qing army into China and the Ming dynasty and thus came to an end.
As a result, his father surrendered to the Qing Dynasty and his mother committed suicide, Cheng Cheng Kung suffering a lot of pain and deciding that he should turn against the Qing Dynasty to rejuvenate the Ming Dynasty to get rid of the shame caused by his father's traitor behavior.
In April of 15th year of Emperor Yung Li (1661 A.D.), he led his army crossing the Taiwan Strait and after 9 months' battle, having finally retrieved Taiwan from the hands of the Dutch.
Taiwan thus was no more a colony of the Netherlands.
After gaining access to Taiwan, Cheng quickly built up the whole place by setting up governing offices, regulations, education system as well as developing more farm lands to improve the living standards of the local people.
He also actively trained people in military tactics, preparing them to fight the Qing army.
However, just a half year after he had retrieved Taiwan, Cheng died of illness on May 8 of the 16th year of Emperor Yung Li of Ming Dynasty.
His aim of rejuvenating the Ming Dynasty was unfulfilled ,which was the biggest regret of his whole life.
In the 13th year of Emperor Tong Chi of the Qing Dynasty (1874 A.D.), the emperor's special envoy, Shen Bao Chen, requested for the enlargement of the then existing Kai Shan Wang' shrine, which was in memory of the work of Cheng Cheng Kung.
It was approved by the regime and the new shrine was officially called " Koxinga 's Shrine" and for people to pay tribute to this folk hero.
About Tainan Folk Cultural Hall:
In side the Koxinga's Shrine, there is the Tainan Folk Cultural Hall, which exhibits various historical culture of Tainan.
The first floor is for pre-historic preserves and dig-ups.
Apart from illustrating the geographic connection between Taiwan and the Mainland, these things also describe the evolution of life from the past to the present.
Most of the exhibits in the second floor are the historical materials of Tainan.
These include the materials and things related to the concerned ancestors, such as the portraits of Cheng Cheng Kung and Shen Bao Chen, and also their works.
In addition, daily items of Tainan City of the old, like the street signs, bedding equipment, land deeds, money bills, are on exhibition so that the public can understand the daily life of the past generations.
It is a cultural spot very worth visiting.

Koxinga Shrine
	All day
	No.152, Kaishan Rd., West Central Dist., Tainan City 702, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
	886-6-2135518

Px :	120.208127
Py :	22.987943

In 1661, Koxinga successfully drove out the Dutch. Following his death the next year, Tainan residents erected the temple to commemorate his spirit in fighting off the Dutch and reclaim the territory.