King of Medicine Temple

Tainan


A foreboding temple dedicated to the King of Medicine (sometimes erroneously translated as 'Drug Lord'), the first of its kind in Taiwan. It faces the east, towards the Water Fairy Temple in a feng-shui arrangement that is beneficial for the Five Canals area. In 2015 politician James Soong Chu-yu paid his respects there during an outbreak of dengue fever which later subsided – prayers answered, apparently. The temple has ornate carvings on every inch of its facade.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Tainan attractions

1. Shennong Street

0.09 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,…

2. Wind God Temple

0.1 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…

3. Duiyue Gate

0.18 MILES

This gate (1835) was part of Tainan's outer city walls in the Qing dynasty. You can see the coral stones in the base and the red bricks making up the low…

4. Water Fairy Temple

0.22 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…

5. Grand Mazu Temple

0.39 MILES

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…

6. 182 Art Space

0.42 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,…

7. Chuan Mei Theatre

0.45 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…

8. Official God of War Temple

0.48 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…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "taiwan/southern-taiwan/tainan-city/attractions/king-of-medicine-temple/a/poi-sig/1538213/357550",
      "destination": "Tainan",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "Taiwan",
      "city": "Tainan",
      "position": "superzone"
    }