Koxinga's Shrine

Cheng Cheng-kung (Zheng Cheng-gong), the pirate-warrior known to the West as Koxinya, made great contributions to the development of Taiwan and has been rewarded by a number of shrines built in his honor. The building that houses this shrine was built in 1662, and it is the only Fuchou (Fuzhou)-styled temple in Taiwan. The Yen Ping Park, which surrounds the shrine, boasts flowing willows that sweep across the ponds.

The shrine comprises the entrance screen wall, the main hall that houses Cheng's tablet, the east and west wings, and the rear halls that house Ming Dynasty's last empress and imperial heir. The ancient plum trees in the real hall's atrium are said to have been planted by Cheng himself, thus having endured three centuries of history.

The shrine contains the Tainan Cultural Museum, which displays a wide range of ancient artifacts. The extensive collections have come to bestow the museum with a cultural significance. Apart from illustrating the geographic connection between Taiwan and Mainland China, these collections also describe the evolution of life in Taiwan from the past to the present.