Tiantan Tiangong Temple

Peaceful place

Picturesque at night with the lit lanterns.

We come to this temple around every lunar new year’s. It’s a good representative of temples around Taiwan, I think. If we stayed at hotels nearby, we’d just walk here. If not, we’d drive with my uncle’s car and park with one of the stores (with no clear sign) where we will buy 金紙 from. And go through the usual prayers at each level altars of the temple. Finishing up with 點燈 beside the main altar. Today though we were able to park the first time with one store on the right of the First Bank near the walkway leading into the temple entrance. Too bad the middle-aged lady was not nice, saying why is our car so long. (Because it couldn’t fit into one of the “slots” they designated by themselves. That is, it doesn’t have a parking box so not a public parking space.) And then when we got back, saying 「怎麼那麼會拜，拜的那麼久。」 Maybe she was stressed during parking, that I didn’t hear her when she was “trying” to guide me into parking space. Honestly it was pretty quick, made one adjustment only to straighten. Or maybe we didn’t buy enough from them. My ma always gets NTD300 of 金紙. Still what she said after we finished our routine, feels like she’s ungrateful or 大頭 just because they were able to have a store (without any sign or decoration) in the front. So I keep thinking we should’ve just waited for a space on the left side, an older lady vendor (beside food stores) where we buy and park many times. Or go to one of the parkings nearby. It’s also very disappointing to meet someone like that during our once/twice-a-year visit, who is regularly near a temple, selling paper moneys to be burnt for the Gods. And sometimes we go two to three times during one trip because of grandma or other relatives. So I hope they’d be aware that there are actually people from abroad who just makes annual or bi-annual visits. Who couldn’t possibly get a smaller ? (I mean I’d just use motorcycle ? if I knew ? or maybe take uber or cabs next time?? ); or who isn’t just there to light incense sticks with short prayers (but actually prays at each level altar of the temple). And I hope they’d make better parkings near the temple maybe.

Taiwan's first temple to worship Jade Emperor or Tian Gong. The temple is happening during the God's birthday that falls on lunar calendar, Jan 9th. It was a big temple with facility such as ATM, water refill station, toilet, free audio guide and explanation in English.

There were not many visitors in the temple when I went there but judging from the many shops around it selling offerings, it must be a popular place for locals to worship their gods. Interestingly there is a road map both in Chinese and English for the route to get around the temple and where to put the lighted incenses.

Incredible craft and design!

Sumptuous temple. The superstitions of the ignorant man are difficult to eliminate, lamentably. (JB. 1841)

很具歷史義意的寺廟，當然又和鄭成功有關。 This is where the renegade general during the 17th C from China who got rid of the Dutch built a sacrificial alter to heaven. Of course the temple was built after that. Since the main deity is the heaven, so It is symbolized by the tablet instead of a anthropomophic figure.