Taiwan: Sacrificial Rites Martial Temple (Wu Miao), Tainan

The Sacrificial Rites Martial Temple also known as the State Temple of the Martial God was originally built in 1665. The temple is dedicated to the god Guan Gong, the most widely worshipped deity in Taiwan. Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan. The town was initially established by the Dutch East India Company as a ruling and trading base called Fort Zeelandia during the period of Dutch rule on Taiwan. After Dutch colonists were defeated by Koxinga in 1661, Tainan remained as the capital of the Tungning Kingdom until 1683 and afterwards the capital of Taiwan prefecture under the rule of the Qing Dynasty until 1887, when the new provincial capital was moved to Taipei.