Tainan’s Catholic churches anchor the Western religion within local cultural traditions.
Taiwan is home to some 700 Catholic churches according to Ministry of the Interior records. While many of them adopt European architectural styles, others weave Chinese elements into their building designs.
Tainan is especially known for such structures. One is Our Lady Queen of China Cathedral built in 1963 in the southern city’s Zhongxi District. From the style of its doors and windows to the hexagonal layout and structure, the church bears many hallmarks of local temples. Even the statue of Mary resembles Mazu, a goddess of the sea worshipped in Taiwan.
Holy Trinity Catholic Church built in 1955 in Tainan’s Yashui District is likewise fashioned after homegrown temples. In addition to structural similarities, the church is best known for its localized murals. Figures in The Last Supper, for example, have Asian faces and hairstyles, wear traditional Chinese clothes and eat steamed buns with chopsticks.
Even houses of worship that have completely Western exteriors, such as Jingliao Saint Cross Church in Tainan’s Houbi District, reflect Eastern influence. Stepping inside the edifice designed by German architect Gottfried Bohm, visitors can see Asian elements including an incense burner with a dragon relief, a Buddhist percussion instrument called the qing and even memorial tablets honoring the ancestors of community residents.
These blends of Western religion and local culture not only bring the church and its teachings closer to the people, but also create a rich architectural scene unlike anywhere else on earth.
—by Jim Hwang
Vibrant red, symbolizing good fortune and joy in many Eastern cultures, is used throughout Our Lady Queen of China Cathedral.
A statue of the Virgin Mary resembles Mazu, the local goddess of the sea.
A pottery urn containing holy water
Memorial tablets honor the ancestors of local residents.
A woodcarving is one of a 14-part Stations of the Cross series telling the story of Jesus’s crucifixion.
An incense burner features a relief of a dragon and other auspicious creatures.
Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Tainan’s Yanshui District is known for its murals portraying Christian stories with localized images.
The church’s version of The Last Supper features Asian figures eating steamed buns.
An incense burner resembles those that appear in local temples.
The Chinese translation of a religious text is part of the church’s collection.
A small chapel in the back of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church houses a statue of the Virgin Mary.
The roof and walls inside the church are covered in paintings depicting Christian stories.
Jingliao Saint Cross Church in Tainan’s Houbi District combines its Western structure with local interior elements such as the work of a Taiwan calligrapher, above left, a percussion instrument called the qing, above center, and a Chinese-style incense burner, above right.