Described by the fantastic travel website Taiwanese Secrets as Caotun’s Creepy Taoist Temple, Tzude Temple [慈德宮] rests on a high perch overlooking Caotun Township. Occasionally, I’ll ride up the steep hill to this spot for exercise before work or during lunch break. This particular time, I took my recently acquired Nikon FM2 loaded with ISO100 film and gave the area a closer look.
While walking around the grounds, I had the opportunity to talk to one of the temple’s caretakers. She told me this temple’s design was unique in Taiwan. When I inquired why this special design was chosen, she told me that a god told them to make it this way.
The front of the temple looks like a giant bamboo hat placed on four pillars. The exterior of the temple is bright red and liberally decorated with dragons and phoenixes. Behind the temple is a sacred banyan tree said to be over 300 years old.
From the temple, visitors can see Caotun, Jhongsing Village, and Baguashan. I didn’t take a picture of the view on account of it being a hazy day, but I’ve taken a couple of panoramas before from different locations along the same ridge.
This temple won’t win any records for being the oldest or the most visited, but it is certainly unique stop for anyone who finds themselves with some spare time in Caotun or Nantou City. Want to visit? Check out the map.
Nice ones. When you wait for the film to be developed, it’s always kind of like getting a surprise. That’s the magic with film.
It makes me wonder what the designers were burning for incense when they came up with the idea for this temple!
Nice essay-that place definitely needs my eyeballs on it in real time. Strange and delightful.
Wow that’s cool. Next time we’re in Nantou we’ll stop by and see it for ourselves. But, uh, is there any public transportation at all out that way?
Nice work Todd. Interesting looking place and great pics.
Thanks for the positive comments everyone.
Jenna – I would strongly recommend arranging your own transportation because anything else worth seeing in the area is pretty spread out. After taking public transit to the closest station it’s quite a walk to the hill to hike up. Let me know if your heading down to Caotun to visit this site.
Mark – Drop me a line when you head up. I can meet you at the top.
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