Kaohsiung Martyrs' Shrine Audio Guide

Kaohsiung Martyrs' Shrine: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to Kaohsiung Martyrs' Shrine

   Welcome to the Kaohsiung Martyrs' Shrine, a hillside memorial in Gushan District, on the slopes of Shoushan, high above Kaohsiung's harbor. If you are arriving on foot from the city's subway, the shrine lies within walking distance north of Sizihwan Station, so you climb toward it and leave the bustle of the port below. This is a place with layers. Today it is a martyrs' shrine, built in Chinese palatial style, with golden glazed roof tiles and a quiet setting among old pines. But the ground beneath it carries an earlier story, because the site began life as a Japanese Shinto shrine in the early twentieth century. Over the next few minutes we will follow that story from the first shrine, through its move up the hill, to the rebuilding that gave the site the form you see now. Take your time on the approach. The climb is part of the experience, and the view behind you grows wider with every flight of steps.

2. 02

   Takao Kotohira Shrine: The First Chapter

   Before this was a martyrs' shrine, it was a Shinto shrine. In 1910, during the period of Japanese rule in Taiwan, the site was established as the Takao Kotohira Shrine. Takao was the Japanese name for the city we now call Kaohsiung. The shrine was dedicated to Omononushi-no-Mikoto and to Emperor Sutoku. The story kept growing. In 1920, the government of Takao Prefecture applied to the Taiwan Governor-General's Office, then based in Taihoku, for permission to worship Prince Yoshihisa there as well. With that, the shrine was renamed Takao Shrine. Then came a move uphill. In 1926 land was acquired on the slopes of Shoushan, and fundraising began to relocate the shrine. The relocation was completed in 1929, and in 1932 the shrine received the Kensha rank, which formally placed it within the Japanese state Shinto system. So the hillside position you are standing on today was chosen for a Shinto shrine nearly a century ago.

3. 03

   Rebuilt as a Martyrs' Shrine

   The great change came in the 1970s. In 1973, Kaohsiung Mayor Wang Yu-yuin initiated the rebuilding of the shrine. It was completed in 1978 and given the name Kaohsiung Martyrs' Shrine. The new design was modeled on the National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine in Taipei. The builders also added an archive of historical artifacts and documents relating to revolution martyrs, along with a reception lounge for distinguished guests and an office. So the site gained a role as a place of remembrance and of record-keeping, not only of ceremony. The transformation was thorough. Almost nothing of the earlier Takao Shrine survives. Only a few stone lanterns remain, quiet reminders of the shrine's first life. Keep an eye out for them as you wander, because they are the clearest surviving link between the two eras. In 2004 the site also received funding from the Council for Cultural Affairs.

4. 04

   Gate, Hall, Pines and Harbor View

   Now look at the architecture. The rebuilt shrine follows the pattern of a traditional Chinese temple complex. It has a mountain gate, a front hall, a main hall, a corridor and a pavilion, all topped with golden glazed tiles of the kind traditionally used on Chinese temples. The effect is solemn and imposing, set against green hillside. In front of the shrine, the stairs are made of andesite, a gray volcanic stone, and they lead you up toward the entrance. Ancient pines surround the compound, which gives it a quiet, secluded feel despite the city just below. Then turn around. From the greenery in front of the shrine, you look down over the harbor. There is a viewing platform here, with a sign spelling out the word love that has become a favorite spot for photographs. The view is celebrated by day and by night, when the lights of the city and port come out. It is one of the best places to take in the many moods of Kaohsiung.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off

   This hillside holds two histories at once. A Japanese-era Shinto shrine once stood here, and a Chinese-style martyrs' shrine now does. Between them, only a few stone lanterns bridge the gap. Before you leave, try a small exercise in noticing. Look for those lanterns and ask yourself what they once stood beside. Then compare the shape of the roofs and gates with the pine trees around them. Finally, pause on the viewing platform and watch how the harbor looks in the light of the moment you are here. If you are curious to keep exploring, the slopes of Shoushan and the neighborhood by Sizihwan Station are close at hand, and each carries more stories of how Kaohsiung grew between the mountain and the sea.