Taoyuan County Martyrs' Shrine

　　The predecessor of Taoyuan County Martyrs' Shrine was the Taoyuan Shinto Shrine built by the Japanese, located at No. 200, Section 3, Chenggong Road, Taoyuan City, Taoyuan County, Taiwan. During the Japanese colonial period, the colonial government implemented a policy of “one shrine per town or village” in Taiwan, attempting to replace temples as the central institution of spiritual life with Shinto shrines. Under this policy, Japan built around 200 Shinto shrines of various sizes across Taiwan, and Taoyuan Shinto Shrine was one of them.

　　Taoyuan County Martyrs' Shrine was completed on June 10, 1938. In addition to enshrining the Three Gods of Pioneering (Ōkuninushi, Ōmononushi, and Sukunabikona), Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa, it also included worship of the deity Inari, associated with abundant harvests, and Emperor Meiji. After the severance of diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Japan, the government issued orders to demolish relics from the Japanese colonial period in Taiwan that reflected the ideology of Japanese imperial superiority, explicitly stating that Japanese Shinto shrines should be immediately removed. As a result, most Shinto shrines of various sizes across Taiwan were destroyed under this directive. To date, only Taoyuan Shinto Shrine has been fully preserved. The shrine was converted into a Martyrs' Shrine in the 35th year of the Republic of China (1946). In 1985, there was a decision to demolish and rebuild the Martyrs' Shrine, but after opposition from various parties, it was ultimately preserved and renovated according to its original form, remaining to this day.