A torii gate, part of a Shinto shrine, can be seen on the roof of what used to be the Hayashi Department Store (林百貨店) in downtown Tainan (台南). But a far more interesting relic of Shintoism exists in North Taiwan – Taoyuan Martyrs Shrine (桃園忠烈祠).

The Taoyuan Jinja, as the martyrs shrine was known during the colonial period, was inaugurated on September 23, 1938. Among those worshipped here were Amaterasu, the mythical ancestress of Japan's royal family, and Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa, the imperial relative who died of malaria while commanding Japanese military units during the 1895 takeover of Taiwan.

Made largely of cypress, the structure is classically Japanese in that it reflects the massive influence on Japan of China's Tang dynasty. It stands on the slopes of a forest-covered hill that's alive with birds and butterflies. Unless the weather is very bad indeed, you can look down over Taoyuan – not, unfortunately, Asia's attractive city.

The shrine's simplicity, and the contrast it presents to other places of worship in Taiwan, are central to its appeal. Unpainted, unvarnished wood is very seldom seen in Taoist and folk temples; the Taoyuan Martyrs Shrine is almost entirely natural timber. The most vibrant colors are those on the four-character calligraphy tablets donated by county chiefs past and present, among them Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), who later served as vice president.

The main shrine is off-limits to visitors but it's possible to peer inside from the steps. I couldn't read the names on the memorial tablets, but there were at least a dozen of them. Among them are Koxinga (鄭成功) – who needs no introduction – Liu Yung-fu (劉永福) and Chiu Feng-chia (丘逢甲).

Both Liu and Chiu fought the Japanese as they seized Taiwan in 1895. Liu served as the second and final president of the short-lived Republic of Taiwan; Chiu went on to work for the KMT in mainland China.

More than 200 others are memorialized in the ceremonial hall.

Bilingual information boards explain the functions of the buildings and the meanings of the statues. On the right, a small bungalow labeled 'administrative office' is where the Shinto priests would rest, fast and bathe in addition to handle paperwork. It's closed to visitors but you can peer in through the windows. The 'temizuya' – a hand-washing station where pilgrims ladled water over their hands before proceeding to the shrine – stands on the left.

The Korean dogs are replicas of the originals, which disappeared long ago. They serve a similar function to the stone lions which guard the entrances of Taiwanese temples. The dog on the left nestles a puppy, while the one on the right holds what looks like a sword.

I've read that after Tokyo severed diplomatic relations with the ROC in the middle of 1972, Taipei decided to remove all remaining symbols and evidence of Japanese imperialism around the island. Accordingly the Taoyuan Jinja was slated for demolition. Curiously, when I asked the Government Information Office about this, they claimed they'd “never heard of” such a policy.

Preservationists entered the fray and in the end the jinja was saved, but converted into a shrine for Chinese heroes – hence the presence of Liu and the others. Since 1994 the shrine has been a grade three national relic.

How to get there:

The shrine's address is 200 Chenggong Road (成功路) Section 3; it's open from 8.30 a.m to 4.30 p.m. daily and admission is free. Just eight buses per day go all the way to the entrance of the shrine from Taoyuan Railway Station. Oddly, three run very early in the morning, before the shrine has opened, while the other five go after it has closed. This service is organized by Zhongli Bus Company.

A much more frequent service, city bus no. 5 (NT$18 one-way, journey time 10-15 minutes) connects the Tonlin Department Store (統領百貨) with Taoyuan Veterans Hospital (桃園榮民醫院). To find the department store, follow Zhongzheng Road (中正路) away from the railway station for no more than five minutes. Get off the bus at the hospital and follow the main road with the bicycle lane uphill. You'll see the marker and the stairs to the shrine on your right within a few minutes.