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Shrine of the Five Imperial Concubines Located on Wufei Street, the Shrine of the Five Concubines was built in memory of five concubines who lived with the distant relative of the last Ming Emperor in Taiwan. Unable to grasp the fact that the Ming Empire had fallen, he committed suicide, and on that very day, his concubines also killed themselves as an act of love and loyalty. With that, the concubines were bestowed the rank of royal princesses. The small shrine shelters five doll-like icons clad in jewelry and silk regalia. Kaiyuan Monastery This is Taiwan's oldest Buddhist monastery, which was built in the 17th Century by Cheng Ching, son of Koxinga, and dedicated to his mother. The monastery can be reached at Kaiyuan Road by taxi. In the central shrine hall sits the happy Buddha, Milofo, which is guarded by four huge ethereal sentinels in fierce poses. The altar table boasts a very olds, intricately carved panel with coiling dragon motifs. Many other shrines dedicated to attendant deities contain traditional Chinese temple furnishings of sculpted hardwood. Visitors may view a fully-equipped Buddhist vegetarian kitchen, which is where the monks' food are prepared. This temple not only serves as a monastery for monks but also as a place of worship for the public. Monks and nuns in robes scatter about the temple grounds attending to the daily chores, as they have done for many centuries. Cheng Huang Miao
The temple is filled with smoke-stained icons, antique hardwood furnishings and intricately hewn beams. Life-sized statues of a warrior and a scholar protect a solemn bearded statue of Cheng Huang. On the wall are two dozen smaller icons of smooth camphorwood, donned in silk brocade. At the back of the main shrine is a smaller hall and shrine. The side walls are painted with clay statues, portraying famous monks and masters of the past. Unlike other ceilings, the one at this temple is varnished and not painted, its surface engraved with exquisite ornamental works. Vestiges and ritual objects hang all over the temple. Two giant abaci made from hardwood hang on both sides of the main shrine acting as a weighing contrivance for the deity to poll the merits and demerits of each citizen for his annual report to the emperors.
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It
is believed that the Tainanese' behavior is reported to the emperors of
heaven and hell by Cheng Huang, the city deity. A temple constructed for
him is located on Chingnien Road, between Chienkuo and Poai roads.