Tainan Travel

During the period of Japanese rule, the Japanese set up the Yongkang Sankandian Sugar Refinery Shinto Shrine (三崁店糖廠設立神社), commemorating Prince Kitashirakawanomiya Yoshihisa (能久親王), Amaterasu-Ōmikami (天照大神), and Toyouke-Ōmikami (豐受大神). The shrine was a religious center for the Japanese, and at that time the Tainan area had many shrines. The majority of those situated close to the most urbanized areas have already become damaged or disappeared. The sites initially selected for the construction of shrines would generally have been in a quiet or secluded environment surrounded by lush forest. The Yongkang Sankandian Sugar Refinery Shinto Shrine is a perfect example of this, and due to the fact it is situated relatively far from the center of the town, and also within the Sugar Refinery complex, its palace hall, Torii, hand washing trough, stone lanterns, walkways, and social areas have remained relatively intact through the passage of time, although its original wooden structure has degraded. Entering the shrine is akin to walking into a secret forest shrine, and a green wooded canopy protects the ecology of the space. After the rain has fallen, water collects on the ground and acts like a mirror for the historical relics of the shrine itself, as if the visitor is standing within the illusory scene of a movie. Naturally, this site provides a wonderful location to take photos, as well as to catch a glimpse of the precious Rhacophorusarvalis tree frog (諸羅樹蛙).