The Kyouritsu Kindergarten was established in 1897 — Taiwan’s first kindergarten was in Tainan’s Wu Temple

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

Not only does Tainan have the “First School of Taiwan,” the Confucius Temple, but it also has Taiwan’s very first kindergarten. Inside the Hoshogu Shrine (now known as the Rokugodo Hall) within Tainan’s Grade I historic site, the Saiten Wu Temple, Taiwan’s earliest kindergarten, the Kyouritsu Kindergarten, was founded 115 years ago. Recently, the municipal government officially erected a commemorative plaque, making it a new historical and cultural landmark and adding yet another “first in Taiwan” to Tainan’s list.

▲ Taiwan’s first kindergarten, the “Kyouritsu Kindergarten,” is located in the Rokugodo Hall of Tainan’s Saiten Wu Temple. (Photo / from Wikimedia Commons)

The Tainan City Education Association pointed out that according to historical records, the Kyouritsu Kindergarten was established in 1897, co-founded by Japanese and Taiwanese individuals, hence the name “Kyouritsu” (meaning “co-established”). It was located in what is now the Rokugodo Hall inside the Saiten Wu Temple. The “Tsai Mengxiong and Tainan’s Kyouritsu Kindergarten,” published by the National History Museum Taiwan Literature Office, also confirms that Kyouritsu was indeed Taiwan’s earliest kindergarten. However, due to insufficient teaching staff and student enrollment, it closed after three years of operation.

The city government stated that in the early days, Taiwan’s early childhood education institutions were limited to private schools and traditional academies. It wasn’t until 1896, when the Tainan City Education Association sent personnel to Japan for an inspection, that they discovered the kindergarten education system. Upon returning to Taiwan, they promptly established one. The Tainan City Education Association further noted that, upon verification, China’s first kindergarten was established in 1903 in Hubei Province — six years later than Tainan’s Kyouritsu Kindergarten, which clearly demonstrates Tainan’s rich cultural heritage and emphasis on education.

▲ Exterior of Tainan’s Saiten Wu Temple. (Photo / from the Cultural Heritage Administration’s official website)

【Saiten Wu Temple】
Commonly known as the Great Guan Yu Temple
Address: No. 229, Section 2, Yongfu Road, West Central District, Tainan City
Nearby Food:Wu Temple Rice Ball