Taiwan Land Development Corp (TLDC, 台灣土地開發) yesterday announced the completion of a Taoist temple in Hsinchu County, the first phase of a massive venture to turn a long-idle plot into a religious and cultural park.
The 28 hectares of undeveloped land on the hillside of Sinpu Township (新埔) is about 20 minutes’ drive from the Hsinchu High Speed Rail Station.
The Taipei-based developer acquired the plot as a bad asset when the company was under the control of the Taiwan Provincial Government.
“The temple is a part of the company’s undertaking to revive Taoism in Taiwan, because I believe faith helps advance spiritual and physical health and can grow hand-in-hand with corporate interests,” TLDC chairman Chiu Fu-sheng (邱復生) said at a ceremony.
The firm used to focus on building industrial parks for the government, but has diversified its business to include the development of creative parks, hotels, retail spaces and residential complexes in Hsinchu, Nantou, Hualien and Kinmen counties after its full privatization in 2008.
The Taoist temple, Yun Shui Kuan (雲水觀), is a wall-less building designed by award-winning Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, whose works include museums, Starbucks outlets and popular retail stores.
It is devoted to the worship of Guiguzi (鬼谷子), a legendary mentor to ancient Chinese military strategists during the late Warring States period.
The temple features I Ching (易經), Tai chi (太極), Bu Gua (卜卦) and other Taoist design elements and is built with traditional engineering techniques, Chiu said.
“It is the world’s first Taoist temple that might provide visitors an oasis of calm from the daily hustle and bustle,” the developer said.
TLDC plans to charge admission fees, but has yet to decide on an amount.
The temple is to open to visitors between Feb. 23 and March 4.
The creative park drew a crowd of 150,000 over the Lunar New Year holiday last year, when admission was free, TLDC officials said, adding that the park is gearing up for commercial operations with the temple and landscaping work.
TLDC is to build a larger temple next to Yun Shui Kuan to house the Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝) in a bid to turn the hillside into a popular tourist attraction, the company said.
The construction of the second temple and other facilities might be completed in 2021, which would make plans to build villas and hotel rooms downhill more practical and profitable, TLDC officials said.
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