The Grand Mazu Temple (祀典大天后宮) is the first Mazu temple in Taiwan built by the government, and it started life as a palace. It was the home of the last Ming prince on the island, and after the Qing took Taiwan it was turned over to Mazu, the sea goddess. Today it's a busy working temple and one of the richest places in the city for temple art.
From prince's palace to Mazu's temple
In 1664 Zheng Jing brought Zhu Shugui, the Prince of Ningjing (寧靖王), to Taiwan and built him a residence in the city. In 1683 the Qing admiral Shi Lang defeated the Zheng forces. The prince took his own life rather than surrender, and his five consorts died with him; he left his home to become a temple. Shi Lang then asked the Kangxi Emperor to make it a temple to Mazu, crediting her with helping his fleet. In 1684 Mazu was given the title Tianhou, "Empress of Heaven," and the temple became the Grand Tianhou Temple. It was entered in the official calendar of spring and autumn rites, which is what the "祀典" in its name means. It's a national monument.
The prince's five consorts are remembered at the small Five Concubines Temple (五妃廟), on Wufei Street, open 08:30 to 17:30.
What to see
- The Mazu statue: the main hall's large gold-faced Mazu, flanked by her two guardians, Thousand-Mile Eye (千里眼) and Wind-Following Ear (順風耳). All three are moulded clay figures.
- The front hall dragon pillars: finished in 1949 by Zhang Mucheng, a stone carver from Hui'an in Fujian, who hid his name and his shop's name in the carving. Look for the leafy capitals at the top, a borrowing from Western columns that locals nickname "cabbage leaves."
- The dragon and tiger walls: carved stone dragons on one side of the entrance, tigers on the other, with five bats hidden above each (bat, 蝠, sounds like "blessing," 福).
- The Shi Lang stele (平臺紀略碑記): in the worship hall, set up by Shi Lang to record the Qing takeover. The city's tourism site calls it the oldest surviving Qing-era stele in Taiwan.
- The murals: paintings by generations of Tainan temple painters cover the walls, including Pan Lishui's Mulan in the rear hall.
- The Old Man Under the Moon (月老): in the rear hall, the matchmaker god. Singles come to ask him for a partner and take home a red thread.
Good to know
- Hours: 06:00 to 21:00 daily; open all year
- Entry: free
- Getting there: it's off Yongfu Road, about 100 metres from Chihkan Tower. Buses 3 and 5 and the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 98 stop at the Chihkan Tower stop
- Festivals: official spring and autumn rites are held each year. The city's tourism site says the temple's Mazu procession through the old city (府城迓媽祖) dates from the Qing era and is Taiwan's earliest Mazu procession
Visiting respectfully
- Facing the temple, go in through the door on your right (the dragon side) and leave through the door on your left (the tiger side). The temple's own guide explains it as "enter the dragon gate for blessings, leave through the tiger's mouth to escape misfortune."
- Step over the raised thresholds, not on them, and leave the centre door for the gods.
- Keep your voice down and give people praying plenty of room, especially anyone throwing divination blocks.
- Ask before you photograph worshippers. Taking part is welcome but never expected.
Want to know what people are actually doing with the incense and the red blocks? → Temple culture explained
Next door: the Official God of War Temple
Right next door, and once the family shrine of the same palace, is the Official God of War Temple (祀典武廟), dedicated to Guan Gong. Its long red wall, 66 metres of it, is one of the most photographed sights in Tainan. Open 05:30 to 21:00, free. Do the two together. → Tainan temples · Chihkan Tower
Sources
History from the Grand Mazu Temple (history and transport pages). Hours, entry, art and festival notes from Travel Tainan's pages on the Grand Mazu Temple, the Official God of War Temple and religious festivals. Five Concubines Temple hours from the Tainan historic sites office. Checked October 2026.