Taiwan Grand Shrine


The Taiwan Grand Shrine was the highest ranking Japanese Shinto shrine in Taiwan during Japanese colonial rule. It was located in Taihoku, Taiwan. Among the officially sanctioned Shinto shrines in Taiwan, Taiwan Grand Shrine held the highest rank of them all. The Grand Hotel stands at the shrine's former site.

History

Following the death of Prince Yoshihisa in 1895, the Governor-General of Taiwan Nogi Maresuke began planning for a shrine in Yoshihisa's honor. Originally, the plan was to construct the shrine at Yuanshan Park ; however, Nogi's successor Kodama Gentarō and chief planner Gotō Shinpei decided to move it across the Keelung River to Jiantan Mountain for the site's higher elevation. The vantage point would allow the shrine to overlook the entire city, making it symbolic for the Japanese Empire's colonial power. The construction lasted between 1900 and 1901, and the completed shrine was dedicated to Yoshihisa and the Kaitaku Sanjin.
In 1915, a railway station named Miyanoshita Station was placed at the foot of Jiantan Mountain to serve the shrine. On April 12, 1923, Crown Prince Hirohito, who would become Emperor Shōwa three years later, embarked on a two-week tour of Taiwan. In preparation for his visit to the shrine, Chokushi Road was created leading up to the shrine from the city, with the Meiji Bridge crossing the Keelung River.
The shrine was elevated in rank to Grand Shrine (jingū