Wanhua Temple Introduction
Wanhe Temple was established in the 23rd year of the Kangxi era by General Zhang Guo from Dinghai, Zhejiang. Funded by twelve surnames including Zhang, Liao, Jian, Lai, Huang, Jiang, He, Yang, Dai, Liu, Chen, and Lin, it was named Wanhe Temple. The "Mawei Cultural Hall" on the fifth floor of the Wanhe Cultural Building was established on October 24, 2004, as a result of guidance from the Council for Cultural Affairs and operates under the Wanhe Cultural and Educational Foundation. This is Taichung City's first privately funded local cultural center, displaying content that includes the historical trajectory of the Nantun District, the glorious history of ramie, rare collections, ramie culture in Nantun, and a creative art gallery, divided into five major areas. It is positioned as a local history and folk culture museum. The "Mawei Cultural Hall" is open for visits on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, as well as on weekends and holidays, with guided tours provided by a volunteer team. The basement of the Wanhe Cultural Building houses a restaurant; the first floor has offices, the second floor is a conference hall, the third floor is a library, the fourth floor is a museum of cultural relics, and the fifth floor is the Mawei Cultural Hall. The building faces the temple courtyard of Wanhe Temple and backs onto the banks of Litou Stream, standing tall and magnificent in appearance, set in a serene environment. A one-story addition on the top of the fifth floor serves as a "Viewing Tower," providing a westward view of the beautiful scenery of Dadushan, an eastward view of Taichung City, and a comprehensive vista of the old streets of Nantun, which is quite poetic. With a long history and thriving incense offerings, Wanhe Temple still preserves a unique folk religious festival associated with the character-play, which has been passed down for nearly two hundred years. The character-play performances began on March 21 in the fifth year of the Daoguang era (1825). The first day featured Zhangzhou opera, followed by Guangdong opera (including Chaozhou, Jiaying, and Huizhou) on the 22nd, Quanzhou opera on the 24th, and Tingzhou opera on the 25th, followed by various surname character-plays, sacrificial performances, and military dramas, continuing for one to two months. This tradition has been maintained for generations and has become an important traditional folk activity in the area.
