Church combines European style with Indigenous culture

Church combines European style with Indigenous culture

2025-02-19

Hidden in Pingtung’s Taiwu Township sits a remarkable church that combines European aesthetics with Indigenous culture. Located in Kaviyangan, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church shines like a European cathedral, yet incorporates many elements of Indigenous artistry. From sacred statues to intricately carved benches, the church is a multicultural phenomenon.

While the architecture of this church was inspired by European cathedrals, the columns, decorations, and statues all incorporate elements of Indigenous culture.

Father Tu Yung-hsiung
Designer
The stained glass incorporates Indigenous colors and designs to express the seven sacraments of Catholicism. The chairs were designed with a template and then a machine did the carving.

The first church in Kaviyangan was built in 1953. Years later as the village continued to grow, a new church was built across from it. Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church was completed in October 2018, designed by Father Tu to incorporate many elements of local Indigenous culture.

Father Tu Yung-hsiung
Designer
There was a pillar in the home of a previous village chief known as the “spirit pillar.” We are grateful that their family, the Zingrur family, embraced Catholicism, leading the entire village to follow. Now 98% of the people here are Catholic. We honor this family for the role they played.

With two floors, the church can seat up to 1,200 people. It’s an idyllic place to experience European ambience with an Indigenous Taiwanese flare.

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最美教堂隱身原鄉部落! 開箱屏東華麗"法蒂瑪聖母堂"

2025-02-19

不用飛歐洲，最美教堂隱身屏東原鄉部落！位於泰武鄉佳平村的法蒂瑪聖母堂，碧麗輝煌的歐洲教堂，融入許多原住民元素，教堂內外，不論聖像或雕刻家族人像的座椅，都有傳統色彩，呈現歐洲與原住民工藝融合的完美結合。

走進教堂內，彷彿來到歐洲，仔細看，側柱、牆上的裝飾以及聖母瑪莉亞、天使雕像，都有著滿滿原住民元素。

[[聲源:設計者杜勇雄神父]]
“(彩繪玻璃)你看他著裝服飾是以原住民的顏色，那個服裝模式處理的，這跟就在表達一下，在天主教裡面有所謂七件聖事。椅子先做個板模後來又放到機器裡面，機器直接刻”

1953年首座原住民教堂誕生於泰武鄉的佳平村，多年後因不敷使用，而在對面興建了一座新的教堂，2018年10月佳平法蒂瑪聖母教堂落成，由杜勇雄神父設計打造，融入了許多原住民文化的元素。

[[設計者杜勇雄神父]]
“是以前一個部落裡面，大頭目家裡面有的柱子，這主柱就是主靈柱，我們所謂的主靈柱。我們也因為感謝這個金果祿這個家，接受了天主教，讓這個部落全部，所以這邊的教友百分之98，都是天主教的，他把這個部落人，就是接受了天主教，所以我們也紀念這個家族”

教堂一二樓總共可以容納1200人，想感受濃濃異國風，不妨來探訪這個融合歐洲風格和原住民文化色彩的教堂。

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