Hualien City God Temple

During the Japanese colonial 'kominka' campaign, many temples across Taiwan were forced to come down, but Hualien City God Temple escaped with one clever move. The temple quietly began enshrining Koxinga (Guoxingye, whose mother, Lady Tagawa, was Japanese, so the colonial authorities saw him as having Japanese blood), and even placed Koxinga's cap on the City God, and so the temple was saved. One of the old temples of Hualien City, it is dedicated to the state-protecting City God (Chenghuang) and has watched a century of change in Hualien. Around the temple you'll find snacks like the famous temple-front black tea, part of a lively neighborhood scene, so it's a good stop whether you come to pay respects to the City God or to eat.