The Koxinga Shrine (延平郡王祠) honors Zheng Chenggong (鄭成功), better known as Koxinga, the Ming loyalist who drove the Dutch out of Taiwan. It's a calm compound a short walk from the Confucius Temple, free to enter, with a red Fuzhou-style shrine, a statue of Koxinga on the roof and the city's history museum in the same grounds. Allow 45 minutes to an hour, more if you visit the museum.
Who was Koxinga?
Zheng Chenggong fought on for the fallen Ming dynasty against the Qing. Taiwan's Tourism Administration tells how he landed at Luermen in 1661, drove out the Dutch and made Taiwan his base against the Qing. In 1662 he took Fort Zeelandia in Anping, and he died only months later. Much of old Tainan's story begins with him, which is why his name turns up all over the city. → Anping Old Fort
A shrine with three lives
- 1662: after his death, local people build a small temple in his memory. It becomes the Kaishan Wang Temple (開山王廟), the temple of the king who opened up the land.
- 1874 (Qing): Shen Baozhen (沈葆楨), the Qing commissioner who also built the Eternal Golden Castle, proposes an official memorial shrine. The Qing court pays for it, and the old temple is expanded into a shrine honoring Koxinga and his generals. The Tourism Administration says craftsmen and materials were brought from Fuzhou, which gives the buildings a Fuzhou style that is rare in Taiwan. → Eternal Golden Castle
- Japanese era: the shrine is turned into the Kaishan Shinto Shrine (開山神社). A Japanese-style palanquin from those years is now kept in the museum next door. → Japanese-era Tainan
- Today: it's the Koxinga Shrine again, one of the sites run by the city's Cultural Affairs Bureau.
What you'll see
- The roof statue: a statue of Koxinga stands on the roof ridge, looking out over the city.
- The blue-eyed door gods: the eight door gods painted on the four inner doors have blue eyes and pale skin, and wear Ming officials' robes. The city says they reflect gratitude for Koxinga driving out the Dutch. Take a close look as you go in.
- Shen Baozhen's couplets: the shrine keeps many Qing-era couplets, some written by Shen Baozhen himself.
- The grounds: the compound covers about 3 hectares, big for the old town, so it feels unhurried even when the streets outside are busy.
The museum next door
A history museum shares the shrine's address. The city's heritage page calls it the Koxinga Museum (鄭成功文物館), and Travel Tainan now lists it as the Tainan Museum of History, formerly the Tainan City Museum. It tells the story of the city through the centuries, and the Shinto-era palanquin is part of its collection. It opens 09:00 to 17:00 and closes on Wednesdays. We couldn't confirm the current admission, so check before you go. → All Tainan museums
Good to know
- Hours: the city's historic sites office lists 08:00 to 17:30, every day of the year; Travel Tainan lists 08:30 to 17:30. Arrive after 08:30 to be safe.
- Entry: free
- Address: No. 152, Kaishan Road, West Central District (臺南市中西區開山路152號), at the corner of Kaishan Road and Fuqian Road. Phone 06-2135518
- Getting there: about a kilometer from Tainan Station. The Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 98 (Fucheng Taijiang Route) stops at Yanping Shrine (Fuqian Road), and there's a YouBike station about 70 meters from the shrine. It's an easy walk from the Confucius Temple.
When to go
Mornings are calmer and cooler, and the shrine opens early. It works well as the first or last stop on a walk around the Confucius Temple area, and on any day but Wednesday you can add the museum. Hayashi Department Store is a short walk north if you want to keep going.
→ Confucius Temple area guide · Confucius Temple · Tainan temples · Hayashi Department Store
Sources
History, the roof statue, the door gods, the palanquin, hours and free entry: Tainan Cultural Affairs Bureau, historic sites and Travel Tainan. Koxinga's landing, Shen Baozhen's shrine, the Fuzhou craftsmen, the couplets, size, address and transport: Taiwan Tourism Administration. Museum name and hours: Travel Tainan. Shuttle 98 route: Travel Tainan. Checked October 2026.