Qualla: State Temple of the Martial God https://qualla.com/state-temple-of-the-martial-god en-us © 2026 Bendyline Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:21:37 GMT Qualla serial false Qualla support@bendyline.com yes https://qualla.com/_m/w/s/j/6/state-temple-of-the-martial-god-wp/hero-small.webp Qualla: State Temple of the Martial God https://qualla.com/state-temple-of-the-martial-god State Temple of the Martial God: Introduction https://qualla.com/state-temple-of-the-martial-god/ Photo credit E21201, CC BY-SA 4.0. When the sun shines through the windows of the State Temple of the Martial God, the floor appears to be covered in coins. The windows are shaped like traditional Chinese currency, circular with a square hole in the center, and the light passing through them casts golden discs across the stone. This is fitting. Guan Gong, the deity enshrined here, was a third-century warrior famed for loyalty, courage, and righteousness. He also became, through one of religion's stranger turns, the patron saint of accountants. The temple built in his honor in 1663 sits on Yongfu Road in Tainan's West Central District, occupying what was once the palace of Koxinga and the Prince of Ningjing, Ming dynasty royals who retreated to Taiwan as their dynasty collapsed.

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Image: E21201 | CC BY-SA 4.0

]]> Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/w/s/j/6/state-temple-of-the-martial-god-wp/wsj6-state-temple-of-the-martial-god-intro.mp3 0:06 1 full State Temple of the Martial God: From Royal Palace to Sacred Ground https://qualla.com/state-temple-of-the-martial-god/ Photo credit 總統府, CC BY 2.0. Zheng Jing, the eldest son of Koxinga, built this temple in 1663, transforming part of the Ming royal compound into a place of worship for Guan Gong. The statue at the main altar was carried to Taiwan from Fujian Province by relatives of the Prince of Ningjing during the dynasty'...

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Image: 總統府 | CC BY 2.0

]]> Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/w/s/j/6/state-temple-of-the-martial-god-wp/wsj6-state-temple-of-the-martial-god-from-royal-palace-to-sacred-ground.mp3 0:06 2 full State Temple of the Martial God: Architecture Without Nails https://qualla.com/state-temple-of-the-martial-god/ Photo credit Taiwania Justo, CC BY-SA 4.0. The temple is a masterclass in Southern Min architectural style, the Hokkien building tradition that flourished in Fujian Province during the Ming dynasty. Its most distinctive external feature is the long, high red wall along Yongfu Road, called a horseback-style wall for its re...

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Image: Taiwania Justo | CC BY-SA 4.0

]]> Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/w/s/j/6/state-temple-of-the-martial-god-wp/wsj6-state-temple-of-the-martial-god-architecture-without-nails.mp3 0:06 3 full State Temple of the Martial God: A Temple for Every Need https://qualla.com/state-temple-of-the-martial-god/ Photo credit Rybloo, CC BY-SA 3.0. The State Temple of the Martial God is less a single temple than a small spiritual ecosystem. Behind the main Guan Gong altar, a smaller Guanyin temple houses a statue famous for its benevolent, slightly downcast expression that appears to follow visitors. On either side stand ro...

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Image: Rybloo | CC BY-SA 3.0

]]> Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/w/s/j/6/state-temple-of-the-martial-god-wp/wsj6-state-temple-of-the-martial-god-a-temple-for-every-need.mp3 0:06 4 full State Temple of the Martial God: The Horse God Across the Road https://qualla.com/state-temple-of-the-martial-god/ Photo credit Author, Public domain. Across Yongfu Road, where the street curves opposite the temple entrance, stands a small horse god temple. Nearly every Guan Gong temple has one. Because Guan Gong was always depicted astride his famous Red Hare horse, his followers built separate shrines to honor the animals tha...

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Image: Author | Public domain

]]> Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/w/s/j/6/state-temple-of-the-martial-god-wp/wsj6-state-temple-of-the-martial-god-the-horse-god-across-the-road.mp3 0:06 5 full