koxinga shrine (延平郡王祠)

In February of 1662, the Dutch left Taiwan, but in June Koxinga died. There are many legends concerning his death; some say he had malaria, others say that he died of depression or sadness His failure at the Nanking battle in 1658 had affected him deeply, and in 1661 the Qing regime
killed his father and brother and destroyed the tombs of his ancestors. In 1662, Prince Gui, one of Zheng Jing, had the last Ming princes, was betrayed, captured and killed. In addition, his elder son a scandalous affair with the nurse of his young brother, even having a son by her - Koxinga went mad with rage and almost killed them. Some believe that such bad fortune contributed to Koxinga's early death, apparently in the prime of life, at the age of just thirty-nine.

Koxinga died in 1662, after his death, the Taiwanese built"Kai Shan Lord Temple" in the early period of Qing rule, to worship Koxinga in appreciation for his contribution to the island, and commemorate his rule.

lln1874, when Imperial General Inspector Shen Baozhen came to Taiwan to organize coastal defenses, he became aware of the great admiration the Taiwanese had for Koxinga, and petitioned the emperor to build a shrine in order to sacrifice to Koxinga officially The Taiwanese raised the funds, and imported the material and architects from Fujian to expand the original site: the result was a Southern Chinese-style building named "Yen-Ping Lord Shrine." 1896, the Japanese Tainan Governor petitioned the Japanese Central Administration to list site as "Kai Shan Shrine" in 1897, it was not only the first shrine in Tainan established by Japanese Government, but also the only Japanese Shrine worshipped the Chinese God.

After the World War II, "Kai Shan Shrine" has been abolished: the name of "Yen-Ping Lord Shrine" recovered, and repaired in 1947. Till 1964, Koxinga Shrine has been rebuilt, and a Northern-style palatial building was erected instead of the Southern-style construction.

台南孔子廟 Tainan Confucius Temple

Address: No. 2號, Nanmen Road, West Central District, Tainan City, 700

Taiwan First Institute of Learning

Tainan Confucius Temple

Tainan Confucius Temple was Taiwan’s first Confucian temple. It was established during the Kingdom of Tungning, a government founded by Koxinga between 1661 and 1683 as part of a loyalist movement to restore the Ming Dynasty. For part of the Qing Dynasty, it served as a school for Taiwan’s tóngshēng, (literally “child students,” regardless of age), also referred to as rútóng (Confucian apprentices), the entry-level examinees who had passed the county or prefectural examinations but were not yet enrolled in a state institute. The temple was also known as the First Academy of Taiwan, and served as a vanguard for Confucianism in Taiwan while gaining a reputation for cultivating intellectuals. At the entrance to the temple stands a dismounting stele. The oldest and best-preserved dismounting stele of the four remaining in Taiwan, it was placed at the entrance on imperial orders in 1687, bestowing legitimacy upon the academy. The presence of the stele also represents respect for Confucius.


Tainan Confucius Temple was established in 1665 during the Kingdom of Tungning. It is Taiwan’s oldest Confucian temple. At one time during the Qing Dynasty, it served as a school for entry-level civil service examinees and was referred to as the First Academy of Taiwan. Tungning Kingdom’s ruler, Zheng Jing, the eldest son of Koxinga, built the temple at the suggestion of his Chief of General Staff Chen Yong-hua (1634 – 1680). The complex was composed of an academy on the left and a temple dedicated to Confucius on the right. The Hall of Edification was built next to the temple and used for lectures and for the cultivation of talented students. In 1685, the temple was transformed into the Taiwan Prefectural Academy, which comprised the east and west wings of the complex. The Chung Sheng Shrine was located on the north side, while the Lingxing Gate formed the south side. The ceremonial semi-circular academy pond and Ya Zhai, a resting room, were added later. The Hall of Edification and Longting Storehouse were built during renovations in 1700. Another round of repairs took place in 1712. Among the renovated buildings were Ta Cheng Palace and Chung Sheng Shrine. The Pavilion of the God of Literature and a shrine for Tudigong, the Earth God, were added on either side of the Lingxing Gate, while the Gate of Rights, the Path of Righteousness, the Ta Cheng arches, and a half-moon wall were added to the periphery.

https://www.taiwangods.com/html/landscape_en/1_0011.aspx?i=74

National Museum of Taiwan Literature

Address: No. 1號, Zhongzheng Road, West Central District, Tainan City, 700

 

National museum of taiwan literature

The National Museum of Taiwan Literature (NMTL), founded on October 17th,2003, is the first national museum dedicated to the literary arts.

The museum building has a distinguished history tracing back to 1916,when it was built to house the Tainan Prefectural Government. Reflecting contemporary European architectural styling, it is one of several well-known works by architect Moriyama Matsunosuke on the island. Other Matsunosuke projects include the current Office of the President (Sotokufu) and Control Yuan in Taipei. The building was damaged during WWII and suffered decades of neglect before serious restoration work was commenced in 1997.Reopened in 2003, the building is today afocal point of island literature,culture, architecture and history, and a successful example of both restoration and revitalization.

The NMTL records, organizes and explains Taiwan's literary heritage. Archives and displays include examples from indigenous Malayo-Polynesian cultures as well as from key periods in Taiwan history – from the Dutch, Ming/Koxinga, Qing and Japanese periods through modern times. Educational activities promote awareness of Taiwan literary traditions. The museum includes literature and children's literature reading rooms as well as a literary experience center designed to both excite and educate.

In helping spread literary knowledge and appreciation, the museum hopes to make reading and the literary arts a "friend" for life.

Cultural Awakening

Japanese colonial authorities began their rule force-fully. Military rule was enlightened and modern authoritarian rule that sup-pressed and reoriented the island's social and political landscape. Responding to oppression, Taiwanese poured their energies into various societies and cultural activities. Calls for reform necessitated a grass-gradually replaced by a more
roots movement that welcomed cooperation from all those disenfranchised and sidelined by colonial rule. Every period in history has its authors willing to heed the clarion call to action and invest their lives for the social good. They witness oppression and resistance in their writings and participate themselves in social activism.

chinese literature on taiwan

Taiwan was widely promoted as "Free China" after 1949. Policies promoting Chinese culture and reaching out to overseas Chinese had the effect of encouraging many Chinese living around the world to relocate to the island to wark and study. Not a few went on to productive literary careers. Cold War divisions also helped foster ties between cultural circles in Hong Kong. From the 1980s onward, Taiwan's literary award calendar and
publishing industry had embraced world Chinese literature and begun to infuse international influences into the domestic literary scene.

https://en.nmtl.gov.tw/content_78.html