Dragons and steamed buns at Taiwan’s temple- like church
Yanshui, Taiwan: With a cross rising from a red pagoda roof and two lion statues guarding the entrance, a Catholic church in southern Taiwan could easily be mistaken for one of the ubiquitous temples dotting the island.
Taiwan embraces freedom of religion and has one of the highest densities of temples in the world, with close to 70 percent of the population believers in Taoism, Buddhism, and Chinese folk traditions. About six percent of Taiwan's 23.57 million population are Christian, with 300,000 of those Catholic. There are more than 1,000 churches across the island but the Holy Spirit Church is particularly unique.
Located on a quiet road in the rural town of Yanshui, about an hour’s drive from southern Tainan city, it started life as a simple wooden structure, built by a German missionary more than six decades ago.
However, in 1986 it was reconstructed by Chinese pastor Li Shaofeng who had a very different vision, melding features of a typical Chinese temple into the design, including lanterns, red pillars, and painted dragons motifs. “The pastor thought of building a more Chinese- style church to adapt to the local environment,” said Joseph Chung, the church’s current pastor. “He built this church hoping to attract more followers,” said Chung, 67. Several other churches in Taiwan incorporate some temple- like characteristics, but none to the same extent.