Its faded, yellow exterior looks quite garish today, but in 1977 the design won first place in a national architectural competition. The temple had long ceased to be a place of worship by then, and until 1967 it was used by the Taiwan Garrison Command as a detention and interrogation center, mostly for political prisoners. PALACE OF HELLAn illustration of the Indian-style Higashi Honganji, which was built in 1936 and demolished in the 1970s to make way for the Shizilin Commercial Building. The first iteration of Higashi Honganji lasted just two years, burning down in 1930. The classical Indian-style structure, rarely seen in Taiwan, was erected in its place in 1936.

Source: Taipei Times March 13, 2021 15:56 UTC