Takao Shrine Ruins (now Kaohsiung Martyrs' Shrine)

The Takao Shrine (高雄神社) was the principal Shinto shrine in Takao (now Kaohsiung), southern Taiwan, during the Japanese colonial period (1895–1945). Its history traces back to February 5, 1910 (Meiji 43), when it was established as the Takao Kotohira Shrine (打狗金刀比羅神社) at the foot of Kotobuki Mountain (壽山, Shoushan) by transferring worship (勧請) from the Kotohira Shrine in Sanuki Province, Japan. The enshrined deities were Ōmononushi-no-Mikoto (大物主命) and Emperor Sutoku (崇德天皇).

In May 1920 (Taisho 9), Prince Yoshihisa of Kitashirakawa (北白川宮能久親王) — the imperial prince who died during the Japanese invasion of Taiwan in 1895 — was added as a deity, and the shrine was renamed Takao Shrine (打狗神社). Later that same year, following the administrative renaming of the city from Takao (打狗) to Takao (高雄), the shrine became Takao Shrine (高雄神社) using the new kanji.

On November 8, 1928 (Showa 3), the shrine was relocated from the mountain's base to its mid-slope, a more prominent and scenic location overlooking Kaohsiung Harbor. The new site offered commanding views of the port city below, reinforcing the shrine's role as a symbol of Japanese authority in southern Taiwan. On April 22, 1932, the shrine was elevated to kensha (県社, prefectural shrine) rank, the highest classification for a colonial prefecture-level shrine.

During the Pacific War, the shrine served as an important site for patriotic ceremonies, military send-off rituals (出征兵士見送り), and imperial worship gatherings. As Kaohsiung was a major naval and industrial hub — home to the Takao Naval Guard District (高雄警備府) and extensive port facilities — the shrine held particular significance for the wartime mobilization of both Japanese settlers and Taiwanese colonial subjects.

Kaohsiung suffered devastating Allied air raids throughout 1944–1945, particularly the October 12, 1944 attack during the Formosa Air Battle. While the shrine itself survived the bombing largely intact, the surrounding city was heavily damaged.

After Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945, and the transfer of Taiwan to the Republic of China, the shrine was converted into a martyrs' shrine (忠烈祠) in 1946 with minimal structural changes. The Japanese shrine buildings were maintained and repurposed for Chinese memorial rites.

However, in September 1972, Japan switched diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China to the People's Republic of China, provoking a surge of anti-Japanese sentiment in Taiwan. In 1973, Kaohsiung Mayor Wang Yu-yun (王玉雲) launched a plan to rebuild the martyrs' shrine; the Japanese shrine structures were demolished in 1974 and a new Chinese palace-style martyrs' shrine was built on the same site. The rebuilding was completed on January 15, 1978, producing the current Kaohsiung Martyrs' Shrine (高雄市忠烈祠).

Despite the wholesale reconstruction, several elements of the original Takao Shrine survive on the grounds: stone lantern (石燈籠) bases along the former approach, a pair of komainu (狛犬) guardian lion-dogs, and portions of the original torii gate structure (now with a Chinese-style roof added). These remnants, together with the original stone-paved sando approach path, were registered as a historic building (歷史建築, 高雄市忠烈祠及原高雄神社遺跡) by the Kaohsiung City Government, recognizing both the colonial-era significance and the postwar memorial function of the site.