Shiba Wang Gong Temple Introduction
Perched on a promontory at the entrance of Kaohsiung Harbor, this temple offers a wide and beautiful view, maintaining the traditional Minnan architectural style. In front of the temple is a steep and rugged staircase, said to test the faith of worshippers with the phrase "Only those with sincerity may ascend." According to a stone tablet within the temple, during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, 18 Chinese merchants crossed the sea to Taiwan and landed in the present-day Sizihwan to cultivate the land, but they were regarded as traitors and collectively killed. In gratitude for the spirit of these 18 ancestors, nearby residents collected their remains and established a shrine for worship. This marks the earliest origin of the Wang Gong Temple. During the Japanese occupation, in order to develop Kaohsiung Harbor, the Japanese excavated the current Sizihwan Cave. However, the project faced many challenges and resulted in numerous casualties. After residents suggested that the Japanese government offer incense and pray to the 18 Wang Gongs for protection, the project was successfully completed. Local people then pooled resources to build the earliest Wang Gong Temple on what is now the site of the National Sun Yat-sen University sports field. It was later relocated to its current site on the promontory in 1984, in conjunction with the establishment of the university. Due to the increasing number of visitors to Sizihwan at night, the temple has also seen a surge in worship.
