大天后宮｜Grand Mazu Temple

Tainan Grand Matsu Temple was a palace before it was a temple. Zheng Chenggong’s  son, Zheng Jing, had it built for The Prince of Ningjing after inviting the Ming prince to take up residency in Taiwan. The palace was where the prince was living when he decided to take his own life, and it was in the main hall of this building that his five concubines hanged themselves from a wood beam. When the Qing took over Taiwan, General Shi Lang took up residency in the palace. Later, in a political move, he petitioned his emperor to have the building converted into a temple dedicated to Matsu.

The Grand Matsu Temple of Tainan was the first officially dedicated Matsu temple in Taiwan. It gains additional esteem because around the time of its dedication the diety Matsu was elevated in status, and so this temple was the first to be named Tiānhòu (Heavenly Goddess) as opposed to Tiānfēi (Heavenly Princess). more....

大天后宮，舊稱東寧天妃宮，位於臺灣臺南市中西區，爲主祀媽祖的廟宇，此外也是中華民國國定古蹟。該廟宇原址本為明朝寧靖王朱術桂所居住的寧靖王府邸，後來在寧靖王捨宅之後轉變成媽祖廟。舊有方志多記載是1684年由施琅入臺後改為媽祖廟，但近來學者指出明鄭時期東寧一地已有天妃宮，寧靖王捨宅的對象即是當時的住持僧聖知。

該廟是全臺最早由官方興建且列入官方祀典的媽祖廟，其在臺灣府城也有重要地位，為府城公廟，是以大天后宮舉辦迎媽祖活動時，可以跨越府城內各個廟境募集經費，有「通城虎」之稱。此外府城各廟舉辦慶典時，都會將第一號轎番簽保留給大天后宮媽祖。此外由於大天后宮原為寧靖王府邸而在政治上亦有重要象徵地位，故施琅當時在此接受鄭克塽的投降並立「平臺紀略碑」，臺灣民主國第二任總統劉永福將此作為「總統府」。更多....