Tiger Head Mountain

Taoyuan Martyrs Shrine (桃園忠烈祠)

When I arrived in Taiwan, I wasted little time getting myself a scooter. 

When you’re not living in Taipei, a scooter is probably one of the most important purchases you’ll make during your time in Taiwan and once I got one, a whole new world of exploration opened up for my friends and myself. 

On one of our earlier scooter expeditions, we set off for a place in Taoyuan to check out the night view of the Taoyuan cityscape on the top of Tiger Head Mountain (虎頭山). 

Having arrived a couple of hours before sunset, we noticed a sign for the Taoyuan Confucius Temple (桃園孔廟) and decided to stop in and check it out. After that we started making our way up towards the mountaintop when I noticed an old stone post on the side of the road that read “Taoyuan Martyrs Shrine” (桃園忠烈祠). 

I stopped the convoy scooters and ran up the set of stairs to check out what was at the top. 

Surprisingly, I found a beautiful (but somewhat unkept) Japanese-looking shrine.

As the years passed, I went back to visit quite a few more times and ended up writing a blog about it, which was one of my first on the subject of Japanese Colonial Era buildings.

Then the shrine closed for an extended period of restoration and during those years, I started to write write extensively about other shrines like this around the country, and ended up coming to the conclusion that the information that I offered readers in this one just wasn’t good enough. 

So now I’m back, with an updated version that has more information and new photos.

And just to warn you, I’m not going to be brief on the information. This is going to be a deep dive into the history and architecture of this historic shrine.

Which is why I’m going to be splitting it into two different articles. 

Before I start though, let me take a minute to explain something I think is important. 

If you’re looking for this shrine elsewhere on the web, you’ll find it in most places officially named the “Taoyuan Martyrs Shrine” (桃園忠烈祠). Honestly though, the latter is a role that has significantly diminished in recent years, especially after the current administrative restructuring and period of restoration that took place. So, I’m going to try to refer to it as the “Taoyuan Shinto Shrine” (桃園神社). 

This isn’t a political stance, nor is it a knock on its current role as a Martyrs Shrine, it’s because this shrine is the one of the worlds most well-preserved and most complete Shinto Shrines outside of Japan. 

I’d be remiss though if I didn’t mention that one of my projects in recent years has been to visit Taiwan’s Martyrs Shrines and chronicle their history. This isn’t because I have an affinity for war-memorials, it is because the majority of these shrines were once home to some of Taiwan’s largest Shinto Shrines, like this one.  If you’d like to learn more about Taiwan’s various Martyrs Shrines, I recommend taking a look at my article about the National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine in Taipei, where I take a deep dive into the history of these shrines and provide links to the other Martyrs Shrines/Shinto Shrines that I’ve already covered.

Taiwan was once home to over two hundred Shinto Shrines of all shapes and sizes but only a handful of these shrines continue to exist. The Taoyuan Shinto Shrine, unlike so many others has been fortunate to have been able to stand the test of time and is now one of the nation’s most significant windows into an important period of its modern history.

Another thing that you should know is that as of this update, I’ll be splitting the article into two. This part will focus only on the history of the Shinto Shrine and the Martyrs Shrine while the second part will provide an in-depth description of its architectural design how to get there. 

I hope that you find all of this interesting enough to read both parts. 

Taoyuan Shinto Shrine (桃園神社 / とうえんじんじゃ) 

Before we get into the history of the shrine, we have to talk a bit about a few important events that took place prior to its construction. 

During the Japanese Colonial Era, Taiwan was divided into eight different administrative districts, Taihoku (台北州), Karenko (花蓮港廳), Taito (台東廳), Takao (高雄州), Tainan (台南州), Taichu (台中州), Hoko (澎湖廳) and Shinchiku (新竹州). 

The “Taoyuan” as we know it today was simply a district within Shinchiku (しんちくしゅう), named Toengai (桃園街 /とうえんぐん) and included these four villages: 

  1. Rochikusho (蘆竹庄), currently Luzhu District (蘆竹區)

  2. Osonosho (大園庄), currently Dayuan District (大園區)

  3. Kizansho (龜山庄), currently Guishan District (龜山區)

  4. Hakkaisho (八塊庄), currently Bade District (八德區)

Note: It is interesting to see that the majority of the names of these districts have been kept more or less the same, save for the conversion to Chinese pronunciation.  

As “Toen” at that time was an administrative district under Shinchiku, it didn’t actually require a large Shinto Shrine as the Shinchiku Shrine (新竹神社 / しんちくじんじゃ) had it covered. Smaller neighbourhood shrines, like the Luye Shinto Shrine in Taitung, would have been sufficient and quite a few of them were constructed around the prefecture.

Link: List of Shinto Shrines in Taiwan | 台灣神社列表 (Wiki) 

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That was until 1934 (昭和9年), when the colonial government passed a resolution that every village and town should have its own shrine (一街庄一社), which started the process of constructing shrines all over Taiwan, and is why (you’ll see in the link above) most of the larger shrines in Taiwan were constructed between 1934 and 1945.

This policy of constructing shrines all over Taiwan was the precursor to a much more nefarious decision that the government would take just a few years later to forcibly convert the entire population into Japanese subjects who were loyal to the empire and State Shinto. 

Officially starting in 1936 (昭和11年), the "Kominka" policy (皇民化運動), which literally means to “force people to become subjects of the empire,” is more commonly known today as “Japanization” or forced assimilation. This was essentially one of the most desperate attempts by the Japanese, who were embroiled in war across Asia, attempting to expand their empire. 

The policy expanded upon the mere construction of Shinto Shrines to converting or destroying local places of worship, enforcing strict language polices, requiring people to take Japanese names and instituting the “volunteers system” (志願兵制度), drafting Taiwanese into the Imperial Army. 

Link: Japanization | 皇民化運動 (Wiki) 

Original design layout of the shrine.

The Taoyuan Shinto Shrine, like so many of its contemporaries around Taiwan was constructed just as these policies started to take root and was tasked with assisting in ‘uniting’ the people and inspiring Japanese patriotism, or the "Japanese spirit, " known as Yamato-damashii (大和魂). 

When the shrine was constructed, it was one of hundreds that were built around the island to help ease the population with their transition into life as citizens of the Japanese empire. 

Today, less than a handful of them remain in existence. 

Planning for the Taoyuan Shinto Shrine started in 1935 (昭和10年), and was designed by Haruta Naonobu (春田直信), a well-known architect and founder of the Haruta Architecture Company (春天建設) in Nagoya.

While Haruta’s architectural design stuck to a traditional Japanese layout, the buildings at the shrine feature what could be argued a ‘fusion’ of Chinese design that dates back to the Tang Dynasty (唐朝) with that of Japanese Nagare-zukuri (流造) design. 

It would be an understatement to say that Japanese architecture has been highly influenced by that of the architecture of the Tang, so it wasn’t very likely an obvious nod on the part of Haruta to design the shrine in this way, which could be argued represented the heritage of the people who lived here prior to the arrival of the Japanese. 

The shrine was constructed facing the south-west and in a direct axis of the Taoyuan Train Station (桃園車站), which showed the importance of the station as the heart of the town and Japanese style urban development.

As a show of the relationship between Taiwan and the rest of Japan, the shrine was constructed with a mixture of cypress (檜木) from the mountains of central Taiwan as well as Japanese cedar (日本柳杉). 

The shrine officially opened on June 6th, 1938 (昭和13年) and  took the 12 petal chrysanthemum (十二菊瓣) as its official emblem, something I’ll talk a bit more about later. 

As a Prefectural Level Shrine (縣社), the Taoyuan Shinto Shrine was the largest of all the shrines in the Taoyuan area and was home to full-time priests and administrators who lived on-site. 

And even though it only operated for less than a decade before the Colonial Era came to an end, it was an important place of worship for the people of Taoyuan. 

Given its importance, the shrine consisted of the following: 

  1. A Visiting Path or “sando” (參道 /さんどう)

  2. Stone Lanterns or “toro” (石燈籠/しゃむしょ)

  3. Stone Guardian Lion-Dogs or “komainu” (狛犬/こまいぬ)

  4. A Sacred Horse or “shinme” (神馬 / しんめ)

  5. A Public Washroom or “tousu” (東司/とうす)

  6. Staff Dormitories (管理室/神職人員宿舍)

  7. Shrine Gates or “torii” (鳥居 /とりい)

  8. An Administration Office or “shamusho” (社務所/しゃむしょ)

  9. A Purification Fountain or “chozuya” (手水舍 /ちょうずや)

  10. A Middle Gate or “chumon” (中門 / ちゅうもん)

  11. A Hall of Worship or “haiden” (拜殿 /はいでん)

  12. A Main Hall or “honden” (本殿/ほんでん)

The Taoyuan Shinto Shrine was likewise home to several important deities enshrined within with Main Hall, including the Three Deities of Cultivation, Toyoke no Omikami, Emperor Meiji and Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa. 

The Three Deities of Cultivation (かいたくさんじん / 開拓三神)

The Three Deities of Cultivation, consist of three figures known for their skills with regard to nation-building, farming, business and medicine. 

The three “Kaitaku Sannin” are as follows: 

  1. Ōkunitama no Mikoto (大國魂大神 / おおくにたまのかみ)

  2. Ōkuninushi no Mikoto (大名牟遲大神 / おおなむちのかみ)

  3. Sukunabikona no Mikoto (少彥名大神 / すくなひこなのかみ)

While these deities are also quite common among Japan’s Shinto Shrines, they were especially important here in Taiwan due to what they represented, which included aspects of nation-building, agriculture, medicine and the weather.

“The Spirit of the Country”

Given Taiwan’s position as a new addition to the Japanese empire, ‘nation-building’ and the association of a Japanese-style way of life was something that was being pushed on the local people in more ways than one.

Likewise, considering the economy at the time was largely agricultural-based, it was important that the gods enshrined reflected that aspect of life. 

Toyoke no Omikami (豐受大神 / トヨウケビメノカミ) 

The female deity ‘Toyoke no Omikami’ is a deity that hails from Japanese mythology known simply as the Japanese ‘Goddess of Food,’ but is more specifically referred to as the Goddess of Agriculture and Industry. Residing at the Ise Grand Shrine (伊勢神宮), the goddess is known to provide food for her counterpart, the sun goddess Amaterasu (天照大神). 

The first mention of these four deities was in the “Birth of the Gods” (神生み) section of Japan’s all-important ‘Kojiki’ (古事記), or “Records of Ancient Matters”, a thirteen-century old chronicle of myths, legends and early accounts of Japanese history, which were later appropriated into Shintoism.

Emperor Meiji (明治天皇)

Emperor Meiji was the 122nd Emperor of Japan and one of the most consequential, presiding over an era of rapid change in the country that saw Japan transform from a feudal state with no connection to the outside world to an industrialized world power. 

Considered one of the greatest emperors in Japanese history, the 45 year-long Meiji Era (明治) is fondly remembered for its political, social and economic revolutions, bringing Japan out of the dark and cementing its footing as a major world power. 

Having presided over the Sino-Japanese war that resulted in the Treaty of Shimonoseki (下關條約), Emperor Meiji added Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to his empire in 1895, starting what would become a fifty year of colonial rule of the islands. 

Upon his death in 1912 (明治42年), the emperor was deified and the Meiji Shrine (明治神宮) was constructed in his honour, which consequently became one of the most important shrines in Japan, and was constructed using cypress exported from Taiwan. 

Link: Meiji Emperor | Meiji Shrine (Wiki) 

As the emperor who oversaw Taiwan’s addition to the empire and the first two decades of its modern development, it should be no surprise that his worship would be included in most of Taiwan’s largest shrines. 

Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa (北白川宮能久親王)

Interestingly, the Meiji Emperor wasn’t the only member of the Japanese royal family who was enshrined within the Taoyuan Shinto Shrine. Prince Yoshihisa, a western educated Major-General in the Japanese imperial army was commissioned to participate in the invasion of Taiwan after the island was ceded to the empire. 

Unfortunately for the Prince, he contracted malaria and died in either modern day Hsinchu or Tainan (where he died is disputed), making him the first member of the Japanese royal family to pass away while outside of Japan in more than nine hundred years in addition to being the first to die in war. 

Shortly after his death he was elevated to the status of a ‘kami’ under state Shinto and was given the name “Kitashirakawa no Miya Yoshihisa-shinno no Mikoto“, and subsequently became one of the most important patron deities here in Taiwan, as well as being enshrined at the Yasukuni Shrine (靖國神社) in Tokyo. 

Link: Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa (Wiki) 

The Taoyuan Martyrs Shrine (桃園忠烈祠)

When the Japanese surrendered to the allies at the end of the war, control of Taiwan was ambiguously handed over to Chiang Kai-Shek (蔣中正) and the Republic of China.

The Sino-Japanese War had caused a lot of resentment for the Japanese among the Chinese population and upon arrival in Taiwan, both the leaders of the ROC government in China and the refugees who eventually came to Taiwan had a difficult time understanding why so many people here looked upon their period of Japanese rule with so little disdain.

In the short time that the Japanese controlled Taiwan, the colonial government developed the island's infrastructure and left the incoming regime with an almost ideal situation as they were more or less given the keys to an already established island. The problem was that the Japanese also provided education to several generations of Taiwanese citizens who ended up not really being big fans of yet another colonial regime swooping in and taking over. 

It goes without saying that Taiwan’s half-century of development under Japanese rule wasn’t entirely altruistic - the colonial power, like all colonial powers benefited greatly from the resources that they were able to extract from Taiwan and the development of the island was meant to help them extract those resources more efficiently. 

The development undertaken by the colonial government over its fifty year rule didn’t just include construction of island-wide infrastructure, but also provided pubic and higher education as well as the opportunity to participate in Japan’s democratic governance. 

This created a class of highly educated citizens, who cherished the ideals of democratic governance.

This was a stark contrast to the corrupt totalitarian approach to governance that the Chinese Nationalist Party implemented upon arrival in Taiwan resembling the early years of Japanese colonial rule and ultimately instituted a thirty-eight year period of martial law. 

The longest of its kind in the history of the world. 

Link: Martial Law in Taiwan | White Terror (Wiki) 

After Japan’s surrender, the new regime quickly implemented similar “kominka” style policies, like the one mentioned above. These policies included harsh language laws, punishing anyone who spoke Japanese, Taiwanese, Hakka or any of Taiwan’s Indigenous languages. Enforcement of these laws was strict and even though several generations of Taiwanese had only ever known Japanese, they were forced to quietly adapt, else they might receive a knock on the door by the Taiwan Garrison Command (臺灣警備總司令部), better known as the secret police.

Although the actual numbers of imprisonment and deaths that resulted from this long period of terror have never been confirmed, it is thought that more then 140,000 people were imprisoned and deaths range from anywhere between 5,000-30,000 people who were accused of being communist spies or their real or perceived opposition to Chinese Nationalist rule.

However even though the Chinese Nationalists spared no effort in tearing down any sign of Japanese cultural influence throughout the country, they were also faced with the very real issue of a serious housing shortage caused by bringing more than two million refugees with them from China. So even though tearing down reminders of the previous regime was a priority, they also had to be practical, allowing those refugees to become squatters in anything that provided them with a roof over their heads. 

In 1950 (民國39年), shortly after Taiwan’s so-called ‘restoration’, the Taoyuan Shinto Shrine, like many of the other Prefectural Level Shinto Shrines around the island was officially converted into a “Martyrs Shrine” (忠烈祠) - a War-Memorial dedicated to the remembrance of the fallen members of the Republic of China’s Armed Forces.

As I mentioned above, one of the saving graces for this shrine was that its original construction mimicked that of Tang Dynasty-style design, so even though it was for all intents and purposes a Japanese Shinto Shrine, it wasn’t all that different from a Chinese style temple. 

So with some slight changes, the shrine was easily converted into the Hsinchu Martyrs Shrine (新竹縣忠烈祠), but was later renamed when the government restructured Taiwan’s administrative districts with Taoyuan finally getting the recognition it deserves, becoming a county.

By 1972 (民國61年), when the Japanese government broke off official relations with the Republic of China, the government here reacted strongly and instituted a policy of tearing down anything remaining from the Japanese Colonial Era as a retaliatory measure. 

Link: Japan-Taiwan Relations (Wiki) 

The Shinto Shrines that remained were for the most part torn down and were replaced with Chinese style Martyrs Shrines. 

The Hualien Shinto Shrine for example was one of the few former Shinto Shrines that retained much its original design well after the Chinese Nationalists took control of Taiwan and converted it into a Martyrs Shrine. When this policy took effect though, it was quickly torn down and replaced. 

Link: 去日本化 (Wiki) 

The Taoyuan Martyrs Shrine though oddly remained unscathed. 

There’s no clear reason as to why it was saved from these retaliatory acts of destruction. 

That being said, the Taoyuan County Government drafted plans to tear down the deteriorating Martyrs Shrine in 1985, and had an appetite to completely replace it with a Chinese-style shrine like the nearby Confucius Temple, which was under construction at the time. 

The shrine as it appeared in the 1980s..

Those plans met with staunch disapproval from the locals who protested the destruction of the shrine and fought to have it restored rather than torn down. The county government eventually capitulated to their demands and in 1987, after spending around $250,000 USD (NT8,860,000), the shrine was restored and reopened to the public.

In the years since, the shrine has been designated as a National Protected Historic Site (國家三級古蹟) and when Taoyuan County was amalgamated into a super city, the newly minted Department of Cultural Affairs (桃園市政府文化局) came up with a long-term plan to create a cultural park on the site. 

After another two-year period of restoration, the shrine reopened to the public as the Taoyuan Martyrs Shrine and Cultural Park (桃園忠烈祠暨神社文化園區) and has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in town. 

Link: Taoyuan Martyrs Shrine and Cultural Park - English | 中文 | 日文

In addition to honoring the war dead of the Republic of China’s Armed Forces, the shrine is also home to Spirit Tablets (牌位) dedicated to Koxinga (鄭成功), Liu Yongfu (劉永福) and Qiu Fengjia (丘逢甲), three historic figures who are considered important Chinese patriots in Taiwan. 

The Pirate King Koxinga (鄭成功) was a Ming-loyalist who escaped to Taiwan with his fleet and established a kingdom in the south in an attempt to establish a base for which he could help to restore the Ming Emperor. His history is one that is well-told here in Taiwan and there are many places of worship throughout the country in his honour. 

Link: Tainan Koxinga Shrine

Liu Yongfu was the commander of the celebrated Black Flag Army (黑旗軍), who later in life became the President of the short-lived Republic of Formosa (臺灣民主國). 

Qiu Fengjia on the other hand was a Hakka poet, a renowned patriot, and the namesake for Taichung’s prestigious Fengjia University (逢甲大學).

The interior of the shrine.

As I just mentioned, since the most recent period of restoration, the former Shinto Shrine turned Martyrs Shrine has been converted into a “culture park” to showcase the important history of this shrine. Previously administered in conjunction with the nearby Taoyuan Confucius Shrine, today there is a lot more focus, funding and care given to the shrine. 

As the most well-preserved of its size remaining in Taiwan today, it has unsurprisingly become a popular attraction with crowds of weekend travelers and the Taoyuan City Government has done an excellent job ensuring that there is a sufficient amount of literature available to guests who want to learn more about the shrine. 

But even though the vast majority of the people who show up are coming for the Shinto Shrine, we still have to remember that it still serves as the official Martyrs Shrine for Taoyuan.

So remember to be respectful when you visit!


In the next part of this article, I will provide a deep dive into the architectural design of the Shinto Shrine and introduce each of the individual buildings on the site, what they’re for and their architectural design. 

I’ll also provide an information about how to get there! 

So, if you are interested in learning more, please feel free to continue reading! 

Taoyuan Shinto Shrine (桃園神社)


Taoyuan Shinto Shrine (桃園神社)

In the first part of this blog, I introduced the history of the Taoyuan Shinto Shrine, its transition into the Taoyuan Martyrs Shrine, and its current transformation into one of Taoyuan’s most popular tourist attractions.

Taoyuan Martyrs Shrine (桃園忠烈祠)

The recent restoration of the shrine and its administrative restructuring has placed a lot more emphasis on the shrine’s history as a Shinto Shrine, with its Japanese characteristics being promoted much more than its most recent history.

With 2020 (and beyond) being plagued by a global pandemic and the closure of international travel, this elegant and historic Japanese Shrine has gained become even more popular as Japan tends to be the number one destination for Taiwanese travelers, who are so obviously missing the opportunity to travel to one of their favorite countries.

This lack of ability to travel to Japan has given locals a new appreciation for the shrines, temples and historic buildings leftover from the Japanese Colonial Era, and people have taken to traveling around Taiwan to enjoy them in massive numbers. The popularity of places like the Taoyuan Shinto Shrine has never been so high, so even though this pandemic has been terrible, it has allowed for a new level of appreciation for what is already available here in Taiwan. 

In the first section of this introduction to the Taoyuan Shinto Shrine, I focused on the history of the shrine, while this section is going to offer an in-depth look into the architectural design of the shrine and the various things that you’ll want to take note of when you visit. 

So, without further delay, let’s get into it. 

The Architectural Design of the Taoyuan Shinto Shrine

The Taoyuan Shinto Shrine was built in a strategic location on a hill near the base of Taoyuan's Tiger Head Mountain (虎頭山), overlooking the city. The location chosen for the shrine was significant because larger Prefectural Shrines like this one are typically constructed on hills, preferably mountains, overlooking a town or city, in order to bless its people.

When the shrine was constructed, the large trees and buildings that currently block its view of the river and the city. So when it was first constructed, the shrine would have provided an excellent view of the city which had yet to really develop.

These days, you have to travel much further up the mountain to get a good view of the Taoyuan City skyline. This is why Hutoushan Park (虎頭山公園) has become such a popular destination for people living in the area to enjoy some outdoor recreation with the large open park on the top of the mountain offering some pretty spectacular views of the Taoyuan cityscape. 

Taoyuan City

As I previously mentioned in the first part of this blog, the Taoyuan Shinto Shrine and the layout of the landscape meticulously follow Japanese tradition, offering tourists the opportunity to not only experience a bit of Taiwan’s history, but the feeling that you’ve been transported to Japan, without having to fly out of the country. 

Even though the shrine is very much Japanese in its design, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the Hall of Worship, the largest building at the shrine, is an interesting a fusion of styles that blends Japanese and ancient Chinese-style architecture.

As is the case with most of the buildings that were constructed during the colonial era, the shrine was constructed using Taiwan’s famed Alishan cypress (阿里山檜木), one of the most amazingly fragrant, and more importantly, durable varieties of timber that you can find.

As you’re probably already aware, I’ve broken this blog up into two different sections. The first was a look at the history of the Shinto Shrine, which subsequently was converted into a Martyrs Shrine, or a War Memorial for the fallen members of the Republic of China’s Armed Forces. In this section, I’m going to focus on the architectural design of the shrine and each of the important pieces that make it complete. 

For clarity sake, I’m breaking up each of these important pieces into their own section so that I can better introduce their purpose and aspects of their design. Some of this information might be considered too in-depth for the average reader, so I’ll try to make it as painless as possible so that you’ll have a better idea of what you’re seeing when you visit the shrine. 

The Visiting Path (參道)

The Visiting Path, otherwise known as the “sando” (さんどう) is an important part of the design of any Shinto Shrine and is essentially just a long pathway that leads visitors to the shrine. While these paths serve a functional purpose, they are also quite symbolic in that the “road” is the path that one takes on the road to spiritual purification. Shintoism itself is literally translated as the “Pathway to the Gods” (神道), so having a physical pathway that leads the worshipper from the realm of the profane to that of the sacred is quite important. 

Traditionally, the Visiting Path to a Shinto Shrine is lined symmetrically on both sides with Stone Lanterns (石燈籠), known as ‘toro’ (しゃむしょ), but the original lanterns that were constructed for this shrine were all destroyed after the Chinese Nationalists took control of Taiwan.

Today the Visiting Path features six (electrified) lanterns, two large and four small, which were constructed in 1986, when the shrine underwent its first restoration.

The lanterns are placed along the Visiting Path just before you reach the shrine gate and even though they’re only a couple of decades old, it is important that they continue to exist in some form today.   

The Visiting Path to the shrine used to be exponentially longer than it is today and would have stretched all the way to the river, but today starts on the hill below the main level of the shrine and continues all the way to the Main Hall. The path starts out quite wide, but as you walk further toward the inner shrine, it becomes considerably more narrow. 

The Shrine Gate (鳥居) 

The traditional Shrine Gate, otherwise known as a "torii" (とりい) is not a completely foreign object here in Taiwan as you’ll find that most large temples feature a variation. Even though we traditionally associate these gates as iconic images of Japan, the meaning of the gates here in Taiwan, and across Asia remains the same as once you pass through, you are thought to be crossing from the profane world, which is considered to be unclean, to a sacred place. 

Although we commonly associate these gates with Japan, as I just mentioned, variations can be found throughout Asia at places of worship. The “paifang” (牌坊) gates of China and the “Hongsalmun” (홍살문) gates of Korea are just a few examples. 

In Japan, the presence of one (or more) of these gates is one of the simplest ways of identifying that there is a shrine nearby and also one of the best ways to know that you’re approaching a Shinto Shrine rather than a Buddhist temple.

The Taoyuan Shinto Shrine was originally home to five of these sacred gates, which stretched from the shrine all the way to the river along the Visiting Path. Unfortunately all of them, known as the first gate (一の鳥居) to the fifth gate (五の鳥居) have been torn down. 

The lower gates, which were located along the extended visiting path mentioned above were demolished when Taoyuan was going through the process of widening roads and developing new communities in the area between the shrine and the river.  

Currently there is only one gate at the shrine, but you might notice that it is architecturally different from what you’d see in Japan - This is because when the shrine was restored in 1986 (民國75年), the people in charge of the project wanted to have a sacred gate, but didn’t want it to resemble exactly what you’d commonly find at Shinto Shrines in Japan. 

The original gates were all constructed with wood and would have had sacred ropes known as shimenawa (標縄) hanging from them, but this one was constructed using concrete and features only a single layer, rather than two. 

Nevertheless, there is a still a certain to beauty to its simplicity. 

The Purification Fountain (手水舍)

An important aspect of Shintoism is something known as “hare and ke” (ハレとケ), otherwise known as the "sacred-profane dichotomy." It is thought that once you pass through the shrine gate, which is considered the barrier between the ‘profane’ and the ‘sacred’, it is necessary to do so in the cleanest possible manner by symbolically purifying yourself at the chozuya (ちょうずしゃ) or temizuya (てみずしゃ) provided. 

An absolute must at every Shinto Shrine, the purification fountain is an important tool for symbolically readying yourself for entrance into the sacred realm. To do so, worshippers take part in a symbolic ritual that it’s safe to say that every person in Japan is familiar with. 

To purify yourself you should follow these steps: 

  1. Pick up a ladle with your right hand.

  2. Scoop some water from the fountain

  3. Purify the left hand.

  4. Purify the right hand.

  5. Pour some water in your left hand and put it in your mouth.

  6. Bend over and (cover your mouth as you) spit the water on the ground.

  7. Purify the handle of the ladle and then lay the dipper face down for the next person to use.

Link: How to Perform the “Temizu” Ritual (Youtube)

If you’re visiting a Shinto Shrine and aren’t entirely aware of the process, never fear, most shrines will have a set of instructions available for guests. 

The Purification Fountain at the Taoyuan Shrine is one of the most architecturally significant pieces of the shrine as no effort was spared on the construction of the beautiful pavilion that covers the fountain.  

The arched kirizuma-zukuri-style (切妻造) hip-and-gable roof is absolutely beautiful and is one of those architectural styles that shows off the mastery of Japanese craftsmanship. 

The shape of the roof is likened to that of an open book that is placed face down with a high arch and two sides that slope down. The roof was constructed with cypress and is simply yet beautifully decorated with carved hanging fish and copper onigawara (鬼瓦) ghost boards and birds on both sides. 

The roof is supported by four thick wooden pillars, which help to stabilize the pavilion and are assisted by an expertly crafted network of trusses, allowing the pillars to distribute the weight of the roof and ensuring that it doesn’t collapse. 

The double-layered concrete fountain is about 180cm in length and 80cm high and has been recently upgraded with sensors that turn on the water when someone approaches in order to help save water. The lower layer of the fountain doesn’t have any water, but is the area where worshippers are meant to spit the water that they’ve used to purify themselves. 

The top layer sits within the lower layer and has a wooden bar running across the mid-section that allows people to place their ladles. The design of the fountain itself is simple, but elegant. 

As a whole, the Purification Fountain is one of the highlights of the entire shrine and even though it might not appear to be very important, I highly recommend you take some time to examine the craftsmanship that went into its construction. 

Administration Office (社務所)

The shrine’s Administration Office, otherwise known as a shamusho (しゃむしょ) is located to the right of the shrine gate and is directly opposite the Purification Fountain. 

This is where the day-to-day affairs of the shrine’s management were conducted as well as where visitors could purchase shinsatsu (神札), or good luck charms. 

The interior a couple of large rooms with floors covered by tatami mats and were used as an office for the shrine as well as providing space for religious ceremonies or functions. 

Constructed with a fusion of Japanese and Western techniques, the building was built primarily with Taiwanese cypress, but has a concrete base to help protect the building from both earthquakes and termites. 

Unlike the other buildings at the shrine, the office has a simply designed roof that features black roof tiles (黑瓦), which are quite common in Japanese residential buildings. One of the most architecturally significant aspects of the building and its roof is its covered front porch, which is known as a karahafu door (唐破風). 

This style of design is indicative of Japanese architecture dating back to the Heian Period (平安時代) from 794-1185. These so-called porches, extend from the front of the building and have pillars holding up a roof that is separate from the rest of the building. 

This style of design is a common architectural characteristic found in Japanese castles, temples, and shrines and makes the building stand out considerably more thanks to its addition. 

In the past the building was open to visitors and featured exhibitions about the shrine and local history, but it currently serves the administrative office for the caretakers of the shrine and the security guards who help to protect it from vandalism. 

I’m not entirely sure if there are future plans to open the building back up to the public or just transfer the exhibition spaces to the former dormitories to the rear of the building. The literature online seems to point to it eventually being used as an exhibition space, but so far it doesn’t seem like they’re ready for that yet. 

The recent restoration project that took place between 2019 and 2020 saw the addition and restoration of a beautiful veranda attached to the sides and rear of the building. Visitors are now able to sit down and relax under the cover of the trees, which were planted when the shrine was constructed more than eighty years ago.

The Stone Lions and Bronze Horse (高麗犬 / 神馬)

As you walk up the Visiting Path towards the set of stairs that brings you to the Middle Gate, you’ll encounter three important objects that are important for every Shinto Shrine, the Stone Lion Dogs and the Bronze Horse, each of which perform important functions for the shrine. 

First, the Sacred Horse, otherwise known as a “shinme” (神馬 / しんめ) is regarded as the sacred mount of the kami enshrined within the shrine and you’ll often find two of these horses at most large shrines. The addition of these horses is an ancient Japanese custom that started during the Nara Period (奈良時代) from 710 to 794 AD, where live horses would be dedicated to the kami within a shrine. However due to the difficulty and expense of raising horses, they were eventually replaced with these bronze versions. 

The Sacred Horse at the Taoyuan Shinto Shrine is 205cm in height and 270cm long and is quite majestic in its craftsmanship. There is however a bit of a mystery about the origin of this horse as it doesn’t actually appear to be the original horse used by the Taoyuan Shrine. 

One of the ways to tell this is to look at the emblem (神紋) found on the belly of the horse, which should be the same emblem used to identity the shrine. In the case of the horse that exists at the shrine today, it features a fifteen-petal chrysanthemum (15瓣菊) on the outside with what looks like a five-petal lisianthus flower (桔梗花) on the inside.

Considering the official emblem for the former Zhongli Shinto Shrine (中壢神社 / ちゅうれきじんじゃ) was the same, it is safe to assume that the horse came from that shrine. Although, I’m not really too sure about that because the site of the original shrine, which is now home to Zhongli Senior High School (中壢高中) has one of the horses on display, but has a slightly different design and the emblem has since been painted over. 

The next set of stone carvings are another absolute requirement for any Shinto Shrine, the famed Lion-Dogs, known in Japan as the komainu (狛犬/こまいぬ). 

Tasked with warding off evil spirits, the komainu are the guardians of the shrine and can be found guarding either the entrance of a shrine by the Shrine Gate or further inside. 

Similar to the stone lions that act as temple guardians at other temples in Taiwan, the word “komainu” translates as “Korean Dog” (高麗犬), referring to the ancient Korean Kingdom of “Koguryo” (高麗國), where it is thought that the tradition was passed on to Japan. 

Although there are exceptions to the rule, komainu usually appear as a pair and are placed on either side of a visiting path or at the entrance to a shrine. Often appearing as a male and female, the komainu are only distinguishable only by their facial expressions, with the male “a-gyo” (阿型) having an open mouth and the female “un-gyo” (吽形) having a closed mouth.

Link: Komainu Lion Dogs (Japan Visitor)

The Taoyuan Shinto Shrine was originally home to two pairs of komainu guardians, however when the colonial era ended and the shrine was converted into a Martyrs Shrine, they were likely destroyed. The set of stone guardians that we can see today are reproductions that date back to the first restoration of the shrine in 1986 (民國75年). 

Even though they mimic the original design, just like the Shrine Gate, certain design elements were left out as to not make them entirely ‘Japanese’.  

The set of komainu currently sit along the Visiting Path on the hill between the Middle Gate and the Shrine Gate and even though they aren’t the original guardians of the shrine, they are nonetheless tasked with the important job of keeping this national historic treasure safe. 

The Middle Gate (中門)

Once you’ve climbed up the stairs and passed by the stone lion-dogs, you’ll have reached the Middle Gate, known as the “chumon” (中門 / ちゅうもん). 

Oddly, most of the articles and research papers that talk about the Taoyuan Shinto Shrine don’t really spend much time talking about this beautiful gate. It is after all just a gate that opens up to the most important part of the shrine, the inner sanctum. If you ask me though, this gate is one of the most important and aesthetically pleasing aspects of this shrine. 

The elegant carpentry and detailed craftsmanship it took to construct it deserves more respect. 

The gate is part of a beautifully designed wooden fence that has been constructed to surround the perimeter of the Hall of Worship and the Main Hall to keep people from breaking into the shrine. 

The fence is beautifully designed using Taiwanese cypress and the craftsmanship put on display with the simple, yet beautiful decorations deserves your attention. 

On top of the gate you’ll find a ridged roof similar to that of the gate, and is in a style that makes it difficult to climb over. 

At first, it seemed that the gate was designed as a fusion of the “karamon” (唐門) style entrance, which is characterized by its usage of an extended karahafu porch, like the one that was used on the Administrative Office above. 

The roof here though differs from that style in that it utilizes a similar kirizuma-zukuri (切妻造) style of design, like the one that was used on the roof of the Purification Fountain below. After some digging, I discovered that the gate is actually a variation on the hakkyakumon gate (八脚門 / やつあしもん), a style that dates back to the Nara Period. 

In this style, you’ll find four vertical pillars on the front and back that support another four horizontal pillars at the base of the roof. Even though it may not appear so complex, you have to realize that these things have all been constructed without the help of nails or screws, which means that the network of pillars and trusses have all been expertly fit to ensure that the gate is snug and won’t collapse under the weight of the roof. 

If my description didn’t impress you enough, check out the link before which has detailed graphics that describe the stages of construction on the roof. The mathematical genius it takes to build these things is jaw-dropping. 

Link: 八腳門 (鎌倉の古建築)

As you climb the hill towards the gate, the roof appears to be flat, but it is ridged to look like an open-book. The shape becomes much more noticeable as you look back at it from the steps of the Hall of Worship. 

The front of the gate is home to a plaque that reads “The Soul of the Country” (國魂), which was added when the Shinto Shrine became a Martyrs Shrine. Given the shine’s current usage as a war memorial for the Republic of China’s Armed Forces, the plaque featuring a phrase like this shouldn’t really be much of a surprise. 

If you are visiting the shrine on a sunny day, the cypress gate seems to bask in the sunlight and the light you get coming through he trees makes the gate appear almost as if it’s glowing. 

As an important aspect of Shinto is harmony and blending into nature, I’m sure you’ll be able to appreciate how much thought went into the design of this gate. 

The Hall of Worship (拜殿)

The Hall of Worship is by far the main attraction of the shrine. 

Known in Japan as the “haiden” (拜殿 /はいでん), for the vast majority of worshippers, it is the spiritual heart of the shrine and given its importance, it is the building at the shrine and as well as the most architecturally distinct.

Even though it has never actually been officially confirmed, one of the most likely reasons that the Taoyuan Shrine has been able to outlive so many of its contemporaries around Taiwan is due to the fact that it was constructed with a fusion style of architecture, combining Japanese elements with the style of architecture that of China’s Tang Dynasty (唐朝).

So it doesn’t particularly matter if you’re Japanese or Chinese, when you look at this building, you’ll easily be able to find architectural elements from both cultures. 

That being said, much of the traditional architecture in Japan, Korea and Vietnam takes inspiration from the Tang Dynasty, which was one of China’s most influential periods of artistic and cultural achievement. 

Link: Architecture during the Tang Dynasty (Boundless) 

Constructed in the shape of a “T”, the interior of the building features a large worship room with wings connected on both the eastern and the western sides. Save for the concrete base that elevates the building off of the ground, the Hall of Worship was constructed primarily with Taiwanese cypress, and just like the other buildings at the shrine relies on a network of pillars on the front and back of the building to support the weight of the massive roof.

And what a roof it is.. 

This traditionally designed irimoya-zukuri roof (入母造 / いりもやづくり) is one of the first things that you’ll notice as you make your way to the top of the hill and get your first look through the doors of the Middle Gate. The Japanese-style ‘hip-and-gable’ roof looks almost three-dimensional in its design and the flowing lines along its many ridges, make it seem like its actually moving.

In most cases when a new building is being designed, you would tend to think that the interior would be your primary inspiration. The design and the construction of the wooden base of this building however, was crafted solely to bring out the brilliance of the roof. This is because according to traditional Japanese design, buildings that have magnificent roofs like this one are held in high esteem, which is why they’re generally reserved for shrines and castles. 

It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that when this shrine was being planned, the roof was the key design feature, while the base itself was kept relatively simple. 

While preparing to write this blog, I ended up discovering that explaining the shape of the roof in detail in English was going to be rather difficult. So, in an attempt to not confuse everyone, I’m including some diagrams of the building below to better illustrate the various sections of the roof so that you can understand why its so special.  

Before we start, here are a few important words to learn: 

  1. Moya (母屋) - Literally, “Mother House”, the lower core of the building.

  2. Irimoya-zukuri (入母造) - A combination of the two styles of roof below.

  3. Kirizuma-zukuri (切妻造) - A style that uses a long-extending curved front slope (gable).

  4. Yosemune-zukuri (寄棟造) - A style that uses four sloping faces (hip)

The key thing that you’ll want to remember about this style of roof is that when we refer to it as a ‘hip-and-gable’ roof in English, that doesn’t really give you a full understanding of the complexity of this design. What “irimoya” essentially means is that it is a combination of both the ‘kirizuma’ and ‘yosemune’ styles into one roof. 

The ‘kirizuma’ part acts as the upper portion of the roof, or the ‘gable’ and has two sides, while the ‘yosemune’ part is the lower part, or the ‘hip’ and has four sides. 

Starting with the gable (kirizuma), the first thing you’ll want to notice is that there is a veranda on the front of the building, known as a ‘hisashi’ (廂), which is covered by the sloping roof. 

The front section of the gable extends well beyond the ‘moya’, so there is a network of pillars at the front of the shrine that are strategically placed to help support the roof. The gable is constructed to look like the Chinese character “入”, and like the character you’ll notice that one side is much larger than the other and has a larger slope. 

When you look at the back side of the gable on the other hand, you’ll find that even though it is considerably smaller than the front, there are the same amount of pillars, which are there to help distribute weight and maintain stability. 

Ridges on the roof.

The ‘hip’ (yosemune) section of the roof on the other hand has four triangular-shaped sides with sloping faces that rise up to connect to the top of the gable. Looking from the sides, the hip part of the roof on either side of the gable helps to consolidate the three-dimensional aspect of the roof as the four sides seem to rise up out of nowhere, creating a triangular shape that looks as if it is physically pushing the ‘gable’ to its apex.

Likewise, both the eastern and western wings of the building feature their own variations of the same style of roof, but even though they’re lower in height than the main section of the building, they ultimately meet with it to help increase the architectural complexity of the building. 

In actuality, both of the wings could have just had simple roofs that cover the building and the network of beams that extend from the main building, but that just wouldn’t be the way these things are done. Everything has to be intricate and the attention to detail has to be beautiful.

Link: 台灣日式建築的屋瓦 (空間母語文化藝術基金會) 

Speaking of beauty, let’s move on to the decorative aspects of the roof. 

The roof is covered entirely with flat copper tiles (平瓦) and features ‘onigawara’ demon tiles (鬼瓦) at the two edges of the ridge, ‘tomoegawara’ poles (巴瓦), ‘chigi’ (千木) and a combination of hanging fish at various points of the ridge known as ‘omogegyo’ (本懸魚), ‘kudarigegyo’ (降懸魚) and ‘hire’ (鰭), which are used as charms to prevent fire. 

The main room in the centre is the largest of the three and is largely empty, save for the two tables that are placed in centre-rear of the room that lead to the door to the Main Hall. 

During the Colonial Era, the doors to the Main Hall wouldn’t have been accessible by the general public as only Shinto Priests were permitted to approach the area where the gods are enshrined. Instead, the doors would have been closed and the table would have featured a large round mirror, known as a “shintai” (神体), which is considered the “looking glass” or a “repository” of the deities, making them accessible to humans.

The Entrance to the Hall of Worship

In front of the tables, you’ll find a deep wooden box called an “saisen-bako” (賽錢箱), which is used for collecting “saisen” (賽錢), or monetary donations for the gods. The box has a series of wooden bars running across the top that allows people to drop in coins or paper bills, but makes its quite difficult to take anything out. While the box does look like its been around for a while, I haven’t seen anything that would indicate that its an original, so I’m guessing it was part of the restoration process that took place several decades ago. 

From its original construction until just a few years ago, the interior of the building was lit simply by natural light. After the recent restoration however, electric lights have been added on the ceiling of the main shrine room to help illuminate the room. The lights that have been added are minimalistic and don’t really take away from the overall simplicity of the interior. 

As the shrine has been converted into a Martyrs Shrine, you’ll find three placards (匾額) placed within the building that feature some beautiful Chinese calligraphy. Similar plaques with these phrases can be found at the other war memorial shrines around Taiwan, but the design of the ones used at the Taoyuan Shrine were made to blend in with the overall design of the building, making them a little less conspicuous.

The plaques are as follows

  1. The Righteous Nation” (民族正氣)

  2. A Good Reputation for Eternity” (萬古流芳)

  3. Eternal Righteousness” (千秋正氣)

Note: In my most recent visit to the shrine, the placards had been removed but their hooks were still there. I’m unsure as to whether this was because they were in the process of being restored or if they’ve been removed for good. We’ll have to wait and see. The second placard mentioned above though is now located on the backside of the Middle Gate. 

In both the east and west wings of the building you’ll find both of the rooms are filled with Spirit Tablets (神位), which were placed inside after the shrine was converted to the Martyr's Shrine. The plaques, which are set up in rows, commemorate and honour those who gave their lives in the lines of service for the Republic of China.

Keeping with Martyrs Shrine tradition, the western wing is known as the Literary Martyrs Shrine (文忠士祠) and is dedicated to the intellectuals who contributed to the revolution that helped the Chinese Nationalists topple the Qing Dynasty. The eastern wing is known as the Martial Martyrs Shrine (武忠士次) and is dedicated to those who died in the line of military duty. 

I think it’s important to note that the fallen soldiers that are memorialized at the shrine today were Chinese and not Taiwanese - I don't say this to disrespect their their sacrifice, but few (if any) of them have anything to do with Taiwan. Ironically, if you wanted to actually pay respect to the Taiwanese who perished during the Second World War, you’d have to take a trip to the Yasukuni Shrine (靖國神社) in Tokyo, where they are honored as Martyrs. 

Main Hall (本殿)

Finally, we’ve reached the Main Hall, otherwise known as the “honden” (本殿/ほんでん), the most sacred part of any Shinto Shrine, and the home of the gods. 

Traditionally, the Main Hall is the area of a Shinto Shrine that is completely off-limits to the general public, and would have only been accessible to the priests who resided at the temple. 

Today though, it is open to the general public. 

If you are a fan of Shinto Shrines and have never seen one of these buildings up close, the Taoyuan Shinto Shrine is probably one of the only places in the world where you’re able to such a great view of a Main Hall in a shrine this size. 

Although, it should go without saying that this probably violates a thousand or more years of Japanese tradition, the people in charge of the shrine are careful not to let people get too close, or climb the stairs to the former home of the gods.

On that note, as I’ve already mentioned in the first part of this blog, the Main Hall was formerly the home of several Japanese deities, but today is home to spirit tablets dedicated to a set of patriotic figures. The doors to the shrine are always open and you are free to take a look inside, but there is a gate and a sign that says that it is forbidden for anyone to actually walk up the small set of stairs. So bring a pair of glasses if you aren’t farsighted. 

The Main Hall is constructed almost entirely of cypress using the ‘nagare-zukuri’ (流造) architectural style, one of the most widely used designs for these types of buildings, and is characterized by its asymmetrical gabled roof, known as a ‘kirizuma-yane’ (切妻屋根). 

The non-gabled side of the roof is long and projects outwards with a steep flowing curve that covers the veranda and the steps of the shrine as well as meeting with the canopy (向拜) that leads to the hall from the Hall of Worship. 

As is the case with most of the buildings constructed in the ‘hirari’ (平入) style, the entrance appears on the side with the longer section of roof, known as the ‘mae-nagare’ (前流) with the ‘ushiro-nagari’ (後流) on the backside being considerably shorter.    

The roof is likewise covered with copper tiles, but the colour is the same shade of green that you’ve seen at the Administrative Building and the Purification Fountain and not the same colour as the Hall of Worship. 

Similar to the Hall of Worship though, the roof features many of the same decorative designs on the gables.

There is something quite odd about the decorations on the roof though. 

On the apex of the ridge, where the ‘onigawara’ should be located, you’ll find a fleur-de-lis, the stylized lily that is more common in France than it would be in Taiwan or Japan. 

Under it, you’ll find three hearts, which is even stranger. 

I spent a few hours trying to figure out where these came from to no avail. 

My guess is that it was a result of the restoration project from the late 1980s and that they probably took some liberties with the design while also trying to remove Japanese elements from the shrine. After I noticed that though, I became aware that the same design was used on other parts of the shrine - on the Administrative building, Purification fountain, etc. 

Why they actually chose that design is a mystery to me - but I hope to figure it out sometime.  

Keeping with the traditional nagari design, the shrine is elevated off of the ground on a cement base, which helps to stabilize the building with the added assistance of a set of pillars that encircle the perimeter of the building. 

The front of the shrine has a set of stairs that would have allowed the priests to open the doors to the shrine as well as a miniature ‘hisashi’-style veranda that wraps around the building on all four sides. 

The veranda is supported by a network of smaller pillars that are connected directly to the cement base and the craftsmanship and carpentry on the veranda is exceptional. 

One of the things you’ll want to take special note of are the beautifully constructed decorative railings that encircle the veranda of the building. Known as ‘kouran’ (高欄 / こうらん), appearing with three horizontal rails that curve at the ends and are expertly fitted within vertical posts or struts called ‘tsuka’ (束) without the use of nails. 

Even though they may not seem particularly important, the stairs to the shrine, like mostly every other aspect of the shrine are also symbolic in nature. In total, there are thirteen steps to the main level, five of which are part of the concrete base while the others have been constructed using cypress. 

The staircase, which is known as a half-step staircase (半步梯) has been strategically designed to only be wide enough for a single adult, but with the assistance of the canopy overhead, ensures that anyone who ascends the stairs does so with their head bowed. 

This is intentional as a forced gesture of respect as you are climbing the stairs to approach the home of the deities, which you should be doing in the most humble way possible. 

If you think about it, the Main Hall can be contextualized as a miniature version of the much larger shrine in front of it, but it is also the traditional home of the gods, which is why its architectural design is similar to what you would have seen in ancient Japan.

I highly recommend walking around the perimeter of the building to fully enjoy all of its beauty and to get a good look at all of its decorative elements. Remember that the ability to see one of these buildings so closely is a rare opportunity, so if you have the chance to see it, you should have a good idea of what you won’t be able to see when you visit shrines in Japan! 

Getting There

 

Address: #200, Section 3, Chenggong Road, Taoyuan City (桃園市桃園區成功路三段200號) 

The Taoyuan Shinto Shrine is located on Taoyuan’s Tiger Head Mountain (虎頭山), a short distance from the Taoyuan Train Station (桃園車站) and is easily accessible through public transportation. 

If you’re driving a car or a scooter, the shrine has a small parking lot that is free of charge. If you’re visiting on the weekend however, the parking lot tends to be full most of the time, so you might have to park your car a bit further away and walk to the shrine.

To get to the shrine, simply input the address above into your GPS or Google Maps and you should have no problem. 

One thing you’ll want to keep in mind is that the parking lot is located around the corner from the stairs on the Visiting Path. So, you’ll want to pass by the sign that says “Taoyuan Martyrs Shrine” and as you round the corner, you’ll take the first right turn. 

If the parking lot is full, there are a couple paid parking lots nearby where you should be able to find parking. 

  1. Veterans Hospital Parking Lot (榮民醫院桃園分院停車場)

  2. Veterans Hospital Weekend Parking Lot (榮民醫院假日收費停車場)

  3. Dayou Mitsukoshi Department Store Parking Lot (新光三越桃園大有店)

The shrine is also easily accessible through public transportation, but even though there is a bus stop next to the shrine, the buses that you’ll end up taking will most likely end up dropping you off at the Taoyuan Veterans Hospital (桃園榮民醫院), which is a short walk from the shrine. 

From Taoyuan Train Station

  • Taoyuan Bus (桃園客運): #302, #707 (Rear Station) 

  • Ubus (統聯客運): #168 (Rear Station)

From Tonlin Department Store (統領百貨)

  • Taoyuan Bus (桃園客運): #105

From Huilong MRT Station (迴龍捷運站) 

  • Taoyuan City Bus (桃園市區公車): #602

Youbike Accessibility

If you don’t feel like waiting for the bus and want to take a ride around Taoyuan, there are YouBike Stations at the front and back of Taoyuan Train Station, and if you want to drop off the bike, there are three stations near the shrine. 

Link: Youbike Station Map 

The Taoyuan Martyrs Shrine and Cultural Park is open seven days a week from 09:00-17:00 and entry is free of charge.

There are also guided tours that are provided free of charge between between 09:00-12:00 and 13:00 - 17:00 daily, but need to be booked in advance with a group of twenty or more.  

As a national historic monument, the Taoyuan City government has done an excellent job preserving this piece of Taiwan's history and now that renovations are finally complete, visiting the shrine is even easier than ever with staff on site who can give guided tours and explain the history in greater detail to foreign guests.

Taoyuan may not be the most popular destination in Taiwan for tourists, but quite a few interesting destinations have popped up over the past few years and this is one of the ones that I think should be high on your list if you're rolling through town. The Tiger Head Mountain Park area itself has a number of locations within the park that are attractive tourist destinations themselves, and you could easily spend a day exploring the area. 

If you are interested in the history of the Japanese Colonial Era, Taoyuan is an excellent place to visit as it is home to the Daxi Martial Arts Hall, Longtan Martial Arts Hall, Zhongli Police Dorms, Taoyuan Police Dorms, Daxi Police Dorms, etc. 

An 80 year history may not seem as attractive to people as some of the centuries-old temples that you can find around the country but the fact that the shrine has been able to survive while so many others met their demise is remarkable. There are few places that you can visit in Taiwan that are like this shrine, so now that it is back in operation, I highly recommend a visit.

And before I leave, let me just throw you some shade..  



Taoyuan Confucius Temple (桃園孔廟)

The Confucius Temple in Taoyuan is one of the newest temples dedicated to the sage in Taiwan and while it may not have the history as the temple in Taipei, Tainan or Hsinchu, it does offer a pretty great balance in terms of beauty and the natural environment that surrounds it.

This is probably my favourite Confucius temple in Taiwan and I don't say that just because I live in Taoyuan, I say it because of the size of the temple, the beautiful colours, the open space and of course the natural environment that surrounds it.

With this post I'm not going to go into as much detail as I did with my post about the Taipei Confucius Temple as the this one isn't as significant historically to Taiwan, but I will take bits and pieces from the post about Taipei's temple to explain some of the aspects of this temple that are similar to other Confucius temples found throughout Taiwan.

For a bit of history though, the Taoyuan Confucius Temple was constructed in 1989 and like other Confucius Temples it consists of a Dacheng Hall (大成殿), Dacheng Gate (大成門), Lingxing Gate (櫺星門) and a Chongsheng Hall (崇聖祠). The temple follows the same strict zen-like simplicity that you see in other temples but for me this one stands apart in the beautiful reds that are on the pillars and around the temple.

The key difference between this temple and other temples found throughout Taiwan though is that this is only Confucius Temple that has a statue of the sage himself. Since the Ming-Dynasty it has been tradition for temples dedicated to the memory of Confucius to only have spirit-tablets (神位) within the confines of the temple.

This temple splits from tradition and while the statue of Confucius isn't in the main shrine room I was quite surprised while walking along the side halls and seeing a giant statue of the sage looking right at me.

If you haven't read my previous blog about the Taipei Confucius Temple, I'm just going to explain briefly below the different parts of the temple and what is their purpose:

Dacheng Hall (大成殿)

Dacheng Hall is the main shrine area of any Confucius temple. The hall, which is known in English as the "Hall of Great Achievement" sits in the architectural centre of the entire complex and is also in the middle of a large granite courtyard. Inside the hall is a very simple set up with the Confucius spirit tablet set up on a nicely decorated table.

The table in the Taoyuan temple is quite a bit more ornate than other temples but pretty much remains similar to all of the other Confucius temples in Taiwan. There are an additional two shrines in the room found upon the west and east side walls and are dedicated to the four sages (四配) Yan Hui (顏子), Zengzi (曾子), Zisi (子思子) and Mencius (孟子) who were Confucius scholars and authored books which continued the philosophy.

Lingxing Gate (欞星門)

The Lingxing Gate acts as the main entrance to the temple - It's a necessary part of any Confucius temple and symbolizes Confucianism's 'willingness to accept anyone with talent and virtue'. The gate at the Taoyuan temple is much different than what you see at the Taipei temple and despite a different set of colours it looks like a gate that you'd likely see in front of any large temple in Taiwan. The gate sits directly beside the road and welcomes people in a grand way to visit the temple. While standing under the gate make sure to look up and enjoy the beautiful detail on the 'roof' part of the gate.  

Chongsheng Shrine (崇聖祠)

The Chongsheng Shrine is situated behind the main Dacheng Hall and is used as a shrine room to venerate the ancestors of Confucius as well as the various Confucian sages and philosophers throughout history. This shrine room is not unlike a shrine room that you'd find in any large Taiwanese home and is an important place for ancestral worship. 

The descendants of Confucius have spread out throughout China, Taiwan and Korea so it's important for them to have a place to worship. The shrine room isn't often open to visitors but you can look through the windows to see inside and if it is open you can walk in and see a smaller shrine room that is quite similar to the much larger shrine in Dacheng Hall.

Confucius Ceremony

Every year on September 28th the nation celebrates what is known as "Teachers Day" (教師節) which in actuality is the birthday of Confucius. Teachers Day is the most important and also the most active day of the year at Confucius Temple's all around the country. The ceremony that takes place at the temple each year pays homage to the most important educator in Chinese history but also pays homage to all the teachers who work tirelessly to educate the students of this country.

Confucius's philosophy of "educating all without discrimination, and teaching students according to their talent" is a core value of the education system in Taiwan and no matter what issues I have with the system that is in place in Taiwan, it is an admirable quality that no one with a sincere desire to learn, no matter what their class or character is given the opportunity to receive an excellent education. The Confucius Memorial Ceremony is an elaborate event that celebrates a tradition that deserves a lot more attention than a short description, so I hope to be able to attend the ceremony this year and give a better description of it! 

It's hard after so much research on these temples to say that I have a particular favourite - The Taipei Temple has a history intertwined with modern Taiwan and the fusion of traditional architecture with southern architecture is quite cool. The Tainan temple is the oldest temple of its kind in Taiwan and the massive trees around the temple make it a sight that shouldn't be missed.

For me, I like that the Taoyuan temple is so large that it dwarfs the others - I like that it is nestled into the side of Tiger Head Mountain (虎頭山) with hiking trails and wildlife all around it. I love the large red pillars within the temple as well as the large opens spaces inside that make it extremely easy for a photographer to get beautiful shots especially since the temple is rarely very busy. 

It's obviously not a competition to say which one is the best, but the Taoyuan temple has a special place in my heart because of all the factors I listed above. It's not convenient to get to and it's certainly not the popular tourist attraction that the other two are and at times it seems like parts of the temple aren't properly taken care of, but that shouldn't stop you from trying to check it out if you're in the area! 

For more information about Taiwan’s Confucius Temple’s please check out my Confucius Temple Guide.