Tiantan Tiangong Temple — Local services in Tainan

We come to this temple around every lunar new year’s. It’s a good representative of temples around Taiwan, I think. If we stayed at hotels nearby, we’d just walk here. If not, we’d drive with my uncle’s car and park with one of the stores (with no clear sign) where we will buy 金紙 from. And go through the usual prayers at each level altars of the temple. Finishing up with 點燈 beside the main altar.

Today though we were able to park the first time with one store on the right of the First Bank near the walkway leading into the temple entrance. Too bad the middle-aged lady was not nice, saying why is our car so long. (Because it couldn’t fit into one of the “slots” they designated by themselves. That is, it doesn’t have a parking box so not a public parking space.) And then when we got back, saying 「怎麼那麼會拜，拜的那麼久。」

Maybe she was stressed during parking, that I didn’t hear her when she was “trying” to guide me into parking space. Honestly it was pretty quick, made one adjustment only to straighten. Or maybe we didn’t buy enough from them. My ma always gets NTD300 of 金紙. Still what she said after we finished our routine, feels like she’s ungrateful or 大頭 just because they were able to have a store (without any sign or decoration) in the front.

So I keep thinking we should’ve just waited for a space on the left side, an older lady vendor (beside food stores) where we buy and park many times. Or go to one of the parkings nearby.

It’s also very disappointing to meet someone like that during our once/twice-a-year visit, who is regularly near a temple, selling paper moneys to be burnt for the Gods. And sometimes we go two to three times during one trip because of grandma or other relatives.

So I hope they’d be aware that there are actually people from abroad who just makes annual or bi-annual visits. Who couldn’t possibly get a smaller 🚗 (I mean I’d just use motorcycle 🛵 if I knew 😂 or maybe take uber or cabs next time?🚕 ); or who isn’t just there to light incense sticks with short prayers (but actually prays at each level altar of the temple).

And I hope they’d make better parkings near the...

It is a very respectful historical landmark.

The Temple of Heaven, Taiwan's first temple, is located in the West Central District of Tainan City, Taiwan. It is a Taoist temple dedicated to the Jade Emperor. It used to be located on the highest point in the city - Jiuling Mountain. Also known as the Tainan Temple of Heaven, it is commonly known as the New Tiangong Temple. Originally an altar used by the Zheng Dynasty to offer sacrifices to heaven

1661-1683 (Ming Zheng Period) The place for offering sacrifices to heaven is commonly known as "Tian Gong Cheng"

1683-1820 (before the middle of the Qing Dynasty) — Every year, residents of the city hold a ceremony to celebrate the birthday of the Jade Emperor on the west side of the public square.

1854 (the fourth year of Emperor Xianfeng’s reign in the Qing Dynasty) — The government and people of the prefecture built the Temple of Heaven, which was completed in the fifth year of Emperor Xianfeng's reign (1855) and named "Tiangongtan".

Every year on the ninth day of the first lunar month, when the God of Heaven is born, people flock to worship him. The crowds crowd the temple so tightly that no one can get through. This shows that the Temple of Heaven occupies an important position in people’s...

臺灣首廟天壇（簡稱（臺南）天壇，地方居民俗稱天公廟），為主祀玉皇上帝的道教廟宇。位於臺灣臺南市中西區，昔日為府城最高點－鷲嶺之上。原址本來是鄭氏王朝政府官員奉明正朔、築台祭告上天的平坦空地，清咸豐四年（1854年），才於祭天原址建廟立壇。

臺南天壇的現有廟宇外觀與名稱均是從1893年的大修後沿用至今。1985年，該廟宇經中華民國(臺灣)政府指定為三級古蹟。1997年文化資產保存法修正取消三級分級制後，已變更為直轄市定古蹟。

臺灣民間說法，「臺灣天公三間半」，意思是臺灣主奉天公的名廟，分別是南臺灣的臺南天壇、中臺灣的沙鹿玉皇殿、北臺灣的新竹天公壇，以及「半間」彰化元清觀（因道路拓寬，殿宇內縮）。宜蘭人則說「臺灣天公三間半，草嶺天公勝四間」，尊崇自己的草嶺慶雲宮（大里天公廟）也有人說「臺灣天公三間半，大里天公勝三間」，或直接把新竹天公壇改為草嶺慶雲宮。

明清朝代的道教壇廟設置大略可分為自然神祇壇廟（如天壇）及人文神祇廟宇（如關帝廟）兩大類。其中，天壇為與上天交談的場所，因此祭祀活動必須於露天舉行，也就是於不設屋頂的壇上舉行儀式。而一般來說，天壇祭祀活動僅為帝王才能從事的科儀，尋常民眾的向天祈福祭祀，就僅能於家中設爐向天祈福。

相傳1661年12月鄭成功自荷蘭東印度公司取得臺灣後，官方的祭天天壇即設於「鷲嶺」，該小山丘即為臺南天壇現址。因為該地頗為平坦，台語亦稱天壇為天公埕(Thiⁿ-kong-tiâⁿ)。自此，此地點成為鄭氏王朝統治者每年祭祀上天的場所。除此，臺南民眾亦以聖爐為壇，並由在地仕紳輪流值年，供奉該聖爐於該輪值仕紳的民宅大廳。此爐主輪值的道教習俗，也於其後普遍見於臺灣各地，且沿襲至今。

1683年明鄭滅亡後，明鄭王朝所屬君臣兵士及其家屬十萬人，俱遭清政府下令強制遷回中國內地。該壇現址遂不再舉行任何祭儀，然而輪值天公爐活動仍於當地依例輪值舉行。

天壇所在位置稱為鷲嶺，為市內最高處。日治時期以後，臺南測候所亦落腳此處以便觀測氣候。

臺南地區於每年農曆正月初九玉皇上帝誕辰的「天公生」日，用擲筊方式選出爐主安置聖爐的做法一直沿用到1850年代。因為漢人的臺灣移民漸多，教眾有增無減。於是當地仕紳研擬於原天壇現址建廟安置天公爐，而輪值爐主則成為該年度的廟宇經費資助人。1854年，臺南市官民共同集資興建廟宇，於同年8月動工，隔年完工。

1855年完工的臺南天壇正殿奉祀玉皇上帝聖神，右側奉福德正神，隨後並增建後殿祭祀其他佛道神像。該廟不但成為臺灣史上首座壇廟，也是少見的天壇壇廟，另外，此間由官民合建的天壇，更是以聖牌而非泥塑木雕神像祭祀玉皇上帝的廟宇。

因臺南天壇附近的數百年的街道整建，加上多次整修都未能復舊施工，因此整體建築並未顯出古貌。不過該廟三進三開間帶兩廊的格局仍顯宏偉。除此，殿外龍形照壁、正殿的重檐歇山頂、後殿的雙斜坡硬山單檐式屋頂，及各殿均有的起翹燕尾、屋架、斗拱、「憨番」雕刻都極具特色。

高懸屋垣的「一字匾」名震南都，臺語俗諺稱「千算萬算，算不到天一劃。」（或作「千算萬算，不值天一劃」，意思是「人算不如天算，冥冥之中自有定數」。）故立了「一字匾」，紀念上蒼造化之功。本廟「一字匾」、臺灣府城隍廟「爾來了匾」的與竹溪寺的「了然世界匾」合稱「臺南三大名匾」。

臺南天壇於1862年、1893年、1949年、1982年及1996年經過規模大小不一的整修。其中，以1899年的整修幅度最大。迄今廟宇原貌亦為當時所修竣模樣。

該廟之所以修竣重整，除了年份久遠之外，增祀神明也是其主因。迄今，該廟的祭祀神明約有20多位，主要神祇有：

正殿:玉皇上帝：俗稱天公、天公祖。由於玉皇上帝是自然界的神化，至尊無形，廟宇多不塑像，以神明牌位代替，民間祭拜則以天公爐代表。農曆正月初九是玉皇上帝誕辰，即「天公生」，祭典從零時起至凌晨4時左右止，儀典盛大隆重。後殿:三清道祖：位於該廟宇後殿正龕上方的3尊神像：元始天尊：三清首神，亦稱造化之神。靈寶天尊：別稱太上道君，為十界醫王。道德天尊：別稱太上老君、李老君，曾化身為春秋時代楚國哲學家老子。斗姥元君：重要的星辰女神。其造形十分奇特，有四首、三目、八臂。三官大帝：位於後殿正龕下方的3尊造形近似，且做帝王打扮的神明。為天官一品賜福紫微大帝、地官二品赦罪清虛大帝及水官三品解厄洞陰大帝的合稱。三官大帝由於神格相當高，民間奉祀多以「三界公爐」代表，如臺南天壇般塑神像奉祀者較少見。南斗星君、北斗星君、東斗星君、西斗星君、張府天師、普化天尊、太乙真人、天醫真人、司命灶君、虎將軍先達廳:天壇開廟先賢武聖殿:文衡聖帝、張仙大帝、王靈天君、五文昌（文昌帝君、孚佑帝君、文衡帝君、朱衣神君及魁斗星君）、釋迦牟尼佛、岳武穆王、延平郡王、觀世音菩薩、天上聖母、月老、註生娘娘、福德正神馬爺祠:馬使爺、神馬太歲殿:斗姥元君、太歲星君、南斗星君、北斗星君、太陽星君、太陰...