Kaohsiung Travel - Day1! Tianliao Moon World, Stone Temple

Travel Date: 2024/04/05

* It was pretty long post, thus I separated it into 2 parts - check out part 2 - LINK *

Check out also our first day travel, where we visited Shoushan Zoo and Zuoying Old Town

It's the first day of our 3-day, 2-night trip to Kaohsiung. Interestingly, it happened to be just 2 days after the strongest earthquake in 25 years struck Hualien, but most of the places we planned to visit are in the mountains. The earthquake's impact wasn't as significant here, considering the distance and the relatively small size of the mountains. Surprisingly, we encountered plenty of people traveling here as well, showing that life goes on despite natural events.

During our trip, we revisited some places that we had seen 4 years ago, and they were vastly different from before.

Tianliao Moon World (田寮月世界)

Four years ago, we went to check out Tianliao Moon World, a unique place in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It looked totally different from what we saw when we went there recently. The pond in front of the mountains was all dried up. I suggest visiting in the summer when there's more rain. Now, it's all dry and not that nice.

It's free to get in, and finding a spot to park is pretty easy. It used to be a place where people and goats lived. Now, it's a park with temples and a mud volcanoes hiding nearby. 

The park is pretty big, it more than an hour to walk around. At night, they light up the park with lights, making it look magical.

Moon World is part of a big area in southern Taiwan that looks like a desert. It's called "badlands" because of how the land got all rough from rain and streams over a long time. The rocks there are mudstone, sandstone, shale, and chalk. Only spiny bamboo can grow there. Because there's not much growing, the rain makes the hills change a lot, and that's why they look so interesting. 

We visited here just two days after a recent massive earthquake struck Hualien, so we decided not to climb up the stones, opting instead to only walk around.

Tianliao Stone Temple (石頭廟)

Our next destination was Tianliao Stone Temple (石頭廟). The temple's story dates back to 1973 when its construction began, lasting a span of 12 years. Its origins can be traced to the ancient Putuo Mountain Temple, a small hidden temple in the grasslands.

During our visit four years ago, the temple seemed relatively unknown, with few visitors. However, it's remarkably different now. We encountered a significant influx of people, including tour buses. Additionally, while parking was limited in the past, there's now a sizable parking lot available.

The temple is structured into a front hall, rear hall, and museum. The museum exhibits various household items and crafts from earlier times.

The name "Stone Temple" is derived from its unique hall constructed with stones and shells, resembling an underwater palace. Tianliao Stone Temple venerates several Taoist gods, with the main deity being the Cundi Bodhisattva.

Address:

1. Tiaonliao Moon Wolrd: 823高雄市田寮區月球路34號

2. Tianliao Stone Temple: 823高雄市田寮區新興路2-7號

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Changhua Travel: Husheng Temple ~ A Dazzling Shrine of Glass

Travel Date: 2023/07/16

We were staying in Yunlin for the weekend, but early Sunday morning, my parents-in-law had to go somewhere, so we decided to head back home as well. However, I had the idea to make a stop in Changhua to revisit two temples we had explored a few years ago: the Shell Temple and the Glass Temple. Fortunately, they were located close to each other, just a few minutes' drive away.

It's not our first time in this place. We visited the temple 5 years ago.

~ ~ ~

My husband mentioned that he wasn't feeling too well, probably just overheated, and wanted to stay indoors. He waited for me at the Glass Gallery while Adrian and I took a walk around the glass temple. There is a quite large car parking area behind the glass gallery, so driving there was not a problem. In the surrounding area, you can also visit other places such as the Ribbon Museum or Brand's Health Museum. Additionally, Lukang Ton is not far away, where you can explore the old street and try the delicious foods of Changhua.

Unfortunately, my husband's health worsened, and we had to end our trip there. Later, after returning home, we found out that he had contracted COVID-19 and was unwell for the next 2 days...

See also: Lukang Old Street

See also: Shell Temple in Changhua

Glass Temple - Husheng Temple (玻璃媽祖廟 - 台灣護聖宮)

The Glass Mazu Temple is located in Changhua Coastal Industrial Park in Lukang and it belongs to the Taiwan Glass, a prominent glass manufacturing company. The Temple showcases the beauty of Taiwan's glass art. In front of the temple, you can see numerous colorful glass balls covering the ground. We also visited the glass gallery, which was filled with beautifully crafted sculptures. It's definitely worth a visit.

The construction of the temple began in 2007 and was completed on March 31, 2012. The Temple was inspired by appearance of Lukang Tianhou Temple during the Qing Dynasty. 

The chairman of Taiwan Glass, Lin Zhao-sui, who has a background in both glass expertise and religious beliefs, was the driving force behind the construction. The project involved a team of architects, designers, artists, scholars, and over 130 glass industry companies who collaborated to create this unique and stunning glass temple.

It combines the glass industry with folk religion. During the day, sunlight shines through the glass, creating a bright and transparent space with infinite beauty. At night, the temple is adorned with over 100,000 LED lights, creating a dazzling and magnificent sight. It's not just a decorative temple, you can still use incense to pray, and there is a table for offerings. 

The temple's main structure is made of steel, and the outer walls are made of curtain glass, which can withstand strong winds of up to level 17 and earthquakes up to level 8. The "swallowtail" part of the roof is also made of glass, demonstrating smooth curves and an impressive posture that seems to reach into the sky. The main structure of the temple is composed of at least 70,000 pieces of glass. 

The temple's entrance gate is made of two layers of reinforced glass, making it comparable to bulletproof glass. The door gods are intricately carved glass sculptures, and other glass carvings include patterns of fiddler crabs, sea cows, and other elements of Taiwan's local culture.

Inside the temple, there are glass carvings of "Dragon Soaring over Sun Moon Lake" on the right side and "Tiger Leaping over Alishan" on the left side, corresponding to the "Dragon Gate" and "Tiger Gate" respectively. The dragons on the two pillars in front of the temple are made of over a thousand bright mirrors, breaking away from the traditional practice of stone carving or painted wood pillars in temples.

There are 160 dragon heads on the ceiling, along with phoenixes on both sides. All of these decorations were handcrafted by artists from Lukang.

The glass behind the altar was handmade by local artists and took two years to complete.

During the daytime, the temple looks beautiful, but its real beauty shines at night when it is illuminated with colorful lights. Although we didn't stay for long, a friendly temple guard shared some pictures with me. 

Inside of temple you can see a water pool where people would through coins for a good luck. The sunlight coming through walls and roof makes it look majestic.

Entrance: Free

Opening Hours:

April to September: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM

October to March: 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Parking Lot: Taiwan Glass Gallery Parking Lot

The "Taiwan Glass Pavilion," established by Taiwan Glass Corporation, provides a venue for Taiwanese local artists to exhibit their artworks free of charge. Besides showcasing glass art, it presents a creative and dazzling experience to the general public with the concept of "Brilliance from All Sides, Surprises in Every Direction." The pavilion adopts an entertaining and educational approach, allowing visitors to have a "zero-distance alternative encounter" with glass. It breaks the traditional stereotypes of the glass industry, offering a refreshing perspective and deepening the public's understanding of the transparent and exquisite world of glass. 

Address:

彰化縣鹿港鎮鹿工南四路28號

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Changhua Travel: Exploring Sanqing Sanyuan Palace ~ Shell Temple in Taiwan

Travel Date: 2023/07/16

We were staying in Yunlin for the weekend, but early Sunday morning, my parents-in-law had to go somewhere, so we decided to head back home as well. However, I had the idea to make a stop in Changhua to revisit two temples we had explored a few years ago: the Shell Temple and the Glass Temple. Fortunately, they were located close to each other, just a few minutes' drive away.

It's not our first time in this place. We visited the temple 4 years ago.

~ ~ ~

We reached the Shell Temple first. Initially, the small road leading to the temple was easy to overlook. Once we arrived, we noticed a cemetery nearby, and the parking area was right there. From the outside, the temple might not seem very attractive, but its interior was quite impressive. It felt like nothing had changed since the last time we were here, except that on that previous visit, we were accompanied by friends who no longer live in Taiwan. Over the past two years, some of our friends had moved away, and later, I myself moved 200km away, leaving me with only one friend. So, once again, I find myself as the lonely girl, haha.

The weather this time was really good, allowing me to take better pictures of the surroundings. Inside the temple, everything remained the same - there was a peaceful pond with fish and a shop selling shells and decorations made from them. Except for us, there were no other visitors (just like last time), making it seem like a rather unpopular place.

Sanqing Sanyuan Palace Shell Temple (三清三元宫贝壳庙) 

Sanqing Sanyuan Palace Shell Temple was built by Huang Qichun, who was born into a poor family. He attended school in the countryside for one year but dropped out at the age of 12 to work as a laborer. At 16, he became an apprentice in an ironworks and learned the skill of making kitchen knives. After his unsuccessful entrepreneurial ventures, he started selling vegetables in Taipei. 

In the 1970s, Huang bought land near the Xiucuo Public Cemetery in Fuxing Township, Taiwan, to raise tropical fish. Despite warnings from friends about the unfavorable feng shui of the land, he persisted and reclaimed the land with his wife, Huang Lixiao. 

Huang Qichun often dreamed of spiritual phenomena after moving to this place. He dreamt of a stone-covered temple adorned with shells and similar decorations. Inspired by the dreams, he decided to build a temple on the remaining land after the fishponds were constructed.

Huang collected various seashells like conch, snail, and abalone, as well as stones from Sihou Li in Hengchun Town. He skillfully arranged the shells and stones using iron wires, pouring cement over them to create the unique temple design. Huang personally worked on the temple's walls, gates, and fences, embedding them with seashells. The walls, except for the pillars, roofs, and entrance gates, were all handmade and decorated with shells. 

Local villagers were initially surprised by Huang's temple construction, but they eventually got used to it. They called him "Guai Chun" (strange Chun) and referred to the temple as the "Beikemo Temple." Despite facing challenges due to the agricultural and fish farming nature of the land, Huang continued his temple construction, and by 1996, the temple was mostly completed.

As Huang Qichun's son grew older, he also helped with farming, allowing his father more time to focus on building the temple, which was eventually completed in late January 1997.

The temple features a square-shaped structure with a decorative roof depicting dragons and phoenixes. Inside, there are various sections, including the main hall, dragon palace tunnel, tropical fish farming area, and an art section. Inside the temple, various seashell artworks, including miniature models of Lukang Mazu Temple and Kirin, are displayed. One notable piece is a 2-meter tall, 3-meter long "Millennium Seashell Dragon," created to celebrate the Millennium Dragon Year.

Due to the land being a farmland, it was impossible to obtain temple registration.

By 2001, the temple has gained fame, attracting many visitors, and Huang often volunteered to guide large tour buses that arrived at the limited parking space near the temple.

See also: Fufudingshan Shell Temple

See also: Glass Mazu Temple

 

Address:

506彰化縣福興鄉振興巷10-1號三清三元宮貝殼廟

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