Dingguang Temple, Changhua

Dingguang Temple is the guardian deity of Yongding County in west Fujian’s Tingzou Prefecture. There are two temples in Taiwan worshipping Dingguang as their main deity: Danshui’s Yinshan Temple and Changhua’s Tingzhou, serving as the Tingzhou Guild Hall at that time.

The main hall dedicates Dingguanggufo, an eminent Tang Dynasty monk, who left home to become a Buddhist monk during childhood and worked spreading Buddhist doctrine in Tingzhou until his passing at the age of 82. Legend has it that once Tingzhou was besieged by bandits, he manifested his power and repelled the attackers, saving the entire city. The imperial court thus granted his temple the title of “Dingguang Temple.”

During the Japanese colonial period, the front hall has been torn down due to urban planning, while the main hall remains nowadays. 

Dingguang Temple, Changhua

Tel: +886-4-7287000 

Add: No. 140, Guanghu Rd, Changhua County 

Fare: Free 

Opening Hour: 8:00-21:00

The Confucius Temple, Changhua

Ranked one of the three most important and famous Conficius Temple in Taiwan, Chuanghua Conficius temple is a must-go cultural place for visitor. Listed as the first-grade historical site, it was build in 1726 and completed in 1830 during Ching Dynasty. Located in the center of Changhua City, the place shares a space with the old Confucian academy. However the Temple was dismantled and only two-third complex remained in the Japanese colonial period. It was reconstructed in 1978 and now a national listed monument. 

The gates are only open for emperors or the scholars who passed the imperial examination with highest scores at the worshipping ceremonies in the past. Nowadays the gates are only opened yearly at the Confucius Memorial Ceremony on Sep. 28^th and the day is also Confucius’s birthday. 

The Temple consists of the Lingxing Gate, Ji Gate, Ta-cheng Hall, East Corridor, West Corridor, and the Rear Hall (Chung-Sheng Shrine). The Ta-Cheng Hall’s main deities are Confucius, the “Four Correlates” (Yan Hui, Zeng Shen, Meng Ke and Kong Ji) and the Twelve Philosophers. The platform at the front of the hall is where the “six-fold information” dance is performed during the Confucius Ceremony. The Chung-Sheng Shrine is at the rear of the hall. It venerates five generations of Confucius’s ancestors, as well as the fathers of the four Correlates. 

The Confucius Temple, Changhua

Tel: +886-4-7236746

Add: No.30, Kongmen Rd., Changhua City 

Fare: Free

Opening Hour: 8:00-17:30 (Closed on national holiday)
Web: Click here

Guandi Temple, Changhua

Changhua Guandi Temple was built at the south gate of Changhua County in 1735 by Magistrate Chin Shih-Wang . After the anti-Qing uprising led by Lin Shuang-Wen in 1786, the temple was destroyed during the battle. During the reign of Jaiqing, the temple was moved to the current site in 1800. 

The antique architecture houses a large but finely crafted deity and numerous Gods. The layout is similar to the martial temple in Tainan, Hsinchu, Sinjhunang, but the Changhua Guandi temple is the only one which face the East.

The main hall is relatively plain, it is not as heavily ornamented as most temple. The main hall enshrines Guan Gong, which is accompanied by the several princess, General Chou, and Chitu (Guan Gong's horse). The rear hall is dedicated to Emperor Wenchang, God of Literature. He hold an inkstone in his left hand and is writing with his right while one foot rests on a sea turtle, representing the best in any field. Students will come to pray for good rest scores every year, and the temple often provide pens blessed by God of literature with students. 

Guandi Temple, Changhua

Tel: +886-4-7241394 

Add: No.469, Minzu Rd., Changhua City 

Fare: Free

Opening Hour: 8:00-21:00 

Yushan Inn, Chiayi

Situated in front of Beimen train station, Yushan Inn has a glorious history during the past 60 years. For years it served as a hostel for travelers to Alishan. Unfortunately, it was closed down due to lack of visitors.

After the dedication of some local volunteers from Honya Cultural Association, the Inn was brought to life in 2009. It is their intention to re-open this historical heritage as a hostel for backpacker while also restoring it for use as an coffee shop for the community.

Yushan Inn

Tel: +886-5-2763269

Add: No. 410, Gonghe Road, Chiayi City

Room Rates: NT﹩300 each night

Mail: yushan.hostel@gmail.com

Fireworks & Firecrackers

Yenshui, Tainan (鹽水, 台南)

Fireworks and firecrackers spark nationwide during CNY.

Fan-shaped Depot, Changhua

The Changhua railway station is an important midway point because it is the convergence of mountain line and ocean line in the western rail line. Away from 10-minute of walk, there is a pilgrims for photographers and railway fan. Build in 1922, Changhua Fan-shaped Depot is the only train depots still in use in Taiwan. It cost over 70,000, while Taichung Railway Station only cost 42,000 at that time. The shape looks like a fan from the air, so hence the name. The depot function as a place for repairs, maintenance, supplies, dispatching trains, and changing directions, which consists of 12 tracks and one turntable.

Currently, the depot contains Japanese-manufactured steam-powered locomotive engines. The most senior of these is the CK101, which was built in 1907, and the history has over 100 years. Old train engines in the train depot have become the Taiwan Railway’s cultural treasures.

Fan-shaped Depot, Changhua

Address: No. 1, Section 1, Changmei Rd, Changhua City 
Opening hour: 08:00-17:00 
Admission Fees: Free 
Tel: +886-4-7244537

Incense & God

Xingang Fengtian Temple,Chiayi (新港奉天宮, 嘉義)

Offering Incense to God is essential for ensuring luck for the year.

Nanyao Temple, Changhua

Nanyao Temple is one of the most famous Mazu temple all across Taiwan. According to the legend, a kiln worker named Yang Qian from Beigang, he brought a Chinese amulet from a Heavenly Goddess Temple in Mazu Temple, and he hung it at the construction site. The place was blazing with color every night, which nearby residents believed to be the spirit of Mazu. In 1738, gentries and believers collected money to build the Nanyao Temple. The place was originally called “Yizhi nanmen waiwueyao”, so it was afterward named Nanyao.

As the scale of pilgrimage gradually increased, Nanyao Temple was listed one of the the four most prosperous Mazu Temple, while the rest of them are Beigang Chaotian Temple, Lugang Tianhour Temple, and Xingang Fengtian Temple.

One thing you should not miss is the Guanyin Hall. The inside of the temple has a bronze ceiling, a carving of 18 Arhats on a western-styled shelf, and Japanese Shrines. It shows a blend of traditional Chinese, Western Baroque, Japanese architectural styles, which is unique to other temples in Taiwan.

Nanyao Temple, Changhua

Address: No.43, Nanyao Rd., Changhua City

Opening hour: 06:00-21:00
Admission Fees: Free

Tel: +886-4-7222893

Kaihua Temple, Changhua

The Kaihua Temple means “the first temple in Changhua”, also known as Guanyin Pavilion. It was completed in 1724 and was built under the suggestion of the first magistrate of Changhua County, Tan Jin-Zheng.

The Main hall is dedicated to Guanyin Budha, accompanied by 18 Arhans. Coming to the real hall, it is devoted to Sanguan Dadi. The right side features Zhusheng Niangniang. A Shovel, pronounced as chan zi, which means “to give birth to a child” in mandrain, laid in front of the goodness.

The left side features Dougong and Doupo, many young people pray to them with the hopes that the blessings of these gods will help them control their acne. 

Kaihua Temple, Changhua

Address: No.545, Minzu Rd., Changhua City

Opening hour: 06:00-21:00
Admission : Free

Tel: +886-4-7268741

Chingan Temple, Changhua

Commonly called the Dadao Temple, the Chingan Temple is built in Jiaqing 22 (1817). Migrants from Tongan County raised the funds to build this temple. The major Deity is Bausheng Deity, Wutau, also known as the God of Medicine. 

One of the stone lions’s mouth, in front of the middle gate, was terribly damaged by bomb of allied forces during World War II.

Antiques, such as the couplets written on the two columns, the stone censer, the ancient tablet, can be dated back to Ching Dynasty and they were over one hundred years old. 

Chingan Temple, Changhua

Address: No.83, Yongle St., Changhua City
Opening hour: 06:00-21:00
Admission Fees: Free

Tel: +884-4-7780265

Stone Lion

Yuanqing Temple, Changhua

There are two types of traditional stone lions, closed-mouth and open-mouth lion. They are beautifully designed with diverse gestures. The open-mouth with a color ball in its hand it the male one, while the closed-mouth lion with a cub lying under its feet is the female lion.