Yongkang Sankanding Sugar Refinery Shinto Shrine Ruins

During the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese established a Shinto shrine at the Sankanding Sugar Refinery. It enshrined Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa, Amaterasu Omikami, and Toyouke Omikami. Shinto shrines served as spiritual centers for the Japanese. At that time, there were many shrines in the Tainan area, but most of those closer to the city center have been destroyed or rebuilt and disappeared. Shrine sites were often chosen for their serene environment and lush trees, and Sankanding Shrine is the best example of this, being relatively secluded, a bit further from the city center, and situated within the sugar refinery. Over time, although the wooden structures of the shrine have disappeared, the complete foundations of the main hall (honden), torii gate, purification font (temizuya), stone lanterns, approach path (sando), shrine office (shamusho), and other shrine facilities are still visible. Stepping inside is like entering a secluded woodland shrine ruin. The lush green forest also protects a rich ecosystem, and after rain, the puddles on the ground reflect the entire ruins, creating a dreamlike, cinematic scene. During normal times, tourists who enjoy ecological photography often visit this hidden gem to seek out the precious Zhuluo tree frogs that reside here.