Tainan Tiantan (Altar of Heaven)

Tainan Tiantan — commonly called the 'Heaven Lord Temple' (Tiangong Temple) — sits in the heart of the West Central District and was the first official Altar of Heaven built in Taiwan, dedicated to the supreme Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Dadi). Step into the plain, solemn main hall and look up: there hangs a plaque bearing a single character, 'One' (一), bestowed by the Xianfeng Emperor and hailed as the most valuable plaque in all Taiwan. The meaning is wonderfully clever — Heaven is supreme, and however many principles there may be under Heaven, not one of them is greater than that single word, 'One.' On the ninth day of the first lunar month, the 'Jade Emperor's Birthday,' worshippers lay out lavish offerings of whole pigs and goats — one of the most solemn days in the old capital's calendar.