Matyr’s Shrine was originally called Takao Jinja (Kaohsiung Temple in Japanese)  and was a Japanese colonial temple.  The building was dedicated to Omononushi-no-Mikoto and Emperor Sutoku.  In 1972 the severing of Sino-Japanese diplomatic ties evoked an outcry against the Japanese, hence the call for the demolition of Takao Jinja.It is now called Matyrs’ Shrine dedicated to the war dead of the Republic of China.  After the demolition, they redesigned the temple to a classic Chinese design.  But, to this day, the Japanese Colonial Takao Jinja was almost entirely altered with a few remains like the stone lanterns still visible in the ruins. As a Japanese, I felt a little awkward visiting the ex-Japanese temple that was demolished due to an outcry against the Japanese but the beauty of the architecture and the breathtaking view that overlooks the Kaohsiung Port and the entire city was definitely worth going to. The temple looks majestic, and colorful with a double roof that resembles a Chinese palace.  When you walk out to see the view, you must be cautious of the stray dogs! The stay dog was sleeping by the stairs so I started talking to the dog like I always do to any dogs… “Hi puppy!”  All of the sudden I was getting chased by the dog and a few stay dogs started barking at the same time and created a scene.  So, be careful when taking pictures of the view.