Smoke of joss sticks.

Getty Images/Flickr Open

Grand Mazu Temple

Top choice in Tainan


This lively temple once served as the palace of Ning Jin, the last king of the Ming dynasty. If you wish to confirm visually that a king's status is lower than an emperor's, count the steps to the shrine. There are only seven; an emperor would get nine.

Right before the king’s death, the palace was converted to a Mazu temple according to his last wish. Some features to note include the 300-year-old Mazu statue and, in the back, the shrine to Mazu's parents in an area that used to be the king's bedroom. Look up and you'll see the roof beam from which the king's concubines hanged themselves so many years ago; those women are honoured in the Wufei Temple.

Transportation

  • bus: 2, 5, 7, 11, 14

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Tainan attractions

1. 182 Art Space

0.05 MILES

A fabulous gallery inside an attractive 50-year-old building. The three-and-a-half floors of space hosts well-curated exhibitions of works – paintings,…

2. Official God of War Temple

0.09 MILES

This is the oldest and most impressive temple in Taiwan dedicated to Guandi (Guan Gong), a Han-dynasty general deified as the God of War. He is the patron…

3. Chuan Mei Theatre

0.11 MILES

This old second-run theatre (1950) is worth a look for the movie posters created by Master Yan Jhen-fa, the last such painter in Taiwan. You can see…

4. Chihkan Towers

0.12 MILES

This old fort is a splendid place to roam around, or to enjoy an outdoor concert on weekends. However, only the foundation is the original. Chihkan has…

5. Tainan Art Museum Bldg 2

0.16 MILES

Created by Japanese architect and Pritzker Prize–winner Ban Shigeru, Building 2 of the Tainan Art Museum has a dozen galleries spread over five floors…

6. Water Fairy Temple

0.18 MILES

Hidden inside a market named after itself, Shuixian Temple (literally 'Water Fairy Temple') is a far cry from the days when it was not only a place of…

7. Shennong Street

0.3 MILES

Cafes, art galleries, fashion boutiques and B&Bs have flowered in the hub of Tainan's former Five Canals area, taking full advantage of the long, narrow,…

8. Wind God Temple

0.32 MILES

Nature-worship temples are hard to come by, which makes this one dedicated to the God of Wind unique. The small structure was originally part of an…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "taiwan/southern-taiwan/tainan-city/attractions/grand-mazu-temple/a/poi-sig/435098/357550",
      "destination": "Tainan",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "Taiwan",
      "city": "Tainan",
      "position": "superzone"
    }