Shatao Temple, Temple in West Central District, Tainan, Taiwan
Shatao Temple is a temple in West Central District in Tainan built on land once near the coastline, housing three Taizi statues within its traditional Chinese structure. The building displays skilled craftsmanship, including door paintings created by master artist Pan Lishui in 1981.
The temple was founded during the Ming Zheng period, as documented in the Taiwan County Chronicles. Its establishment as one of just two Taizi temples made it a significant religious site for the region.
The temple serves as a gathering point where statues of deities from neighboring temples come together for processions and traditional rituals. These events show how active and connected the local religious community remains today.
Visitors can take time to examine the artistry on the entrance doors and try traditional divination blocks for fortune-telling. The grounds are generally accessible and offer a better experience when explored at a relaxed pace without rushing.
The temple's name comes from an old geographical feature: during the Dutch colonial period, the ocean shoreline extended to where the temple now stands. Waves regularly washed sand onto this spot, giving the location its distinctive name.
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