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Updated Monday, July 27, 2009 9:20 am TWN, By Steven Crook, Special to The China Post

Taoyuan's unique Shinto relic

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.

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	The torii gate of the Taoyuan Martyrs Shrine. (By Steven Crook, Special to The China Post) More Photos (2)


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