Marian devotion
← Back to Taiwan's Marian Advocations
At the foot of the Dawu mountain, the Paiwan community of Jiapin is coming to Our Lady of Fatima in one of the most unique temples in Taiwan. The sanctuary tells the entrance of Catholicism into the indigenous communities of the south and shows how the Gospel can be expressed through forms, colors and symbols that are specific to a people.
Chinese name: Holy Mother of Kaping Fatima.
Place: Jiapin Lane 3, Taiwu, Pangtung.
First church: 1953.
Current temple: project developed since 2014 and solemnly dedicated on October 13, 2018.
Pastoral and artistic design: Father Tu Yung- hsiung with the community.
Jurisdiction: Catholic diocese of Kaohsiung.
Identidad cultural: Paiwan people, with contributions from indigenous art from southern Taiwan.
The beginning of the indigenous mission
The first church of Jiapin was built in 1953. The academic research and the diocese of Kaohsiung consider it the first stable Catholic implantation within an indigenous community in Taiwan. From there, evangelization spread to other villages in Taiwan and to neighbouring municipalities.
The old church was small. A new building was built in front of it, designed by Father Tu along with local artisans and inhabitants. The diocese places the completion of the structure around 2014; ecclesial documentation records the solemn dedication of the present temple 13 October 2018, anniversary of the last apparition of Fatima.
A church spoken in Paiwan language
The interior includes ancestral columns, lineage motifs, sculptures, coloured glass beads and seats carved with community figures. The image of Mary saw indigenous elements. These forms do not replace Christian content: they help the Incarnation, the communion of the saints and the dignity of the people to express themselves through their own visual memory.
The church can host a great assembly and has become a cultural and spiritual point of reference. The diocese uses it for celebrations of the indigenous pastoral and included it among the retirement places of 2025.
Fatima in an indigenous community
The advocation comes from the recognized apparitions of 1917 in Portugal. His call to the Rosary, conversion and peace acquired in Jiapin a community expression of his own. A local Marian apparition is not documented: the unique value of the sanctuary is in its missionary history and in the inculturation of faith.
Living Pilgrimage
Jiapin receives pilgrims from the diocese and from abroad. In 2024 it hosted a celebration presided over by Cardinal Emeritus John Tong of Hong Kong; the year of retirement in 2025 culminated in a pilgrimage on foot from the basilica of Wanjin.
Verified location
The address published is Jiapin Lane 3. The individual map code of the sanctuary focuses on 22.5915625, 120.6293125. The marker corresponds to the new temple and the historical enclosure of the community, not the nearby Wutan church or the Wanjin basilica.
Prayer to Our Lady of Fátima of Jiapin
Mother of the Rosary, venerated by the Paiwan people of Jiapin, gathers our tongues, memories and gifts in the praise of your Son. It protects the elderly, strengthens the young and preserves the dignity of indigenous communities. May the beauty of this sanctuary announce conversion, reconciliation and peace. Amen.
Sources consulted
- Diocese of Kaohsiung: history, architecture and inculturation.
- Diocese of Kaohsiung: Jubilee pilgrimage to Jiapin.
- GCatholic: range, chronology, direction and location.
- Formosa Television: testimonies about the current design and temple.
- National thesis repository: development of Catholicism in Taiwan.
- Vatican News: History and recognition of Fatima.
Is the advocation of the Virgin Mary of your people missing?
Si no encuentras la advocación mariana de tu ciudad o pueblo, cuéntanosla: la investigaremos para ubicarla y darla a conocer en este mapa del amor de la Madre por el mundo.
Propose an apvocation →