Wenchang Temple, Taichung City Introduction
Wenchang Temple in Taichung City is located at No. 100, Wenchang Street, Nantun District. Nantun District was once the living domain of the Pazeh people during the period of the Qing dynasty (after 1684), with Han Chinese increasingly settling the area. By the fourth year of the Yongzheng era (1726), successful cultivation had begun, leading to the establishment of Wanhe Temple (now at No. 51, Section 1, Wanhe Road, designated as a city-level historic site) to worship Mazu. The area was also known as a midway point between Banxian City (now Changhua) and Hulu Street (now Fengyuan), famous for producing plow blades and other agricultural tools, hence the name "Plow Shop Street." According to the fifth volume of the Qing Dynasty’s "Changhua County Gazetteer," before the Daoguang era, there were seven Wenchang Temples in Changhua County, one of which was located on Plow Shop Street, built in the second year of the Jiaqing era (1797) by the tribute scholar Zeng Yuyin and others. This indicates that the "Plow Shop Wenchang Temple" was initiated by tribute scholar Zeng Yuyin in the second year of the Jiaqing era, making it one of the earliest established Wenchang Temples in Changhua County and a cultural birthplace of the Taichung area. Initially, the land for the temple was donated by the Jian family in memory of their ancestor Jian Huiyi and the family member Jian Guixin from Nanjing, and funds were raised by Zeng Yuyin to construct the temple at the current location of Nantun Market, naming it "Plow Shop Wenchang Temple," which is the origin of this temple's name. According to the religious registry of the 13th year of Taisho (1924), the temple organization had established the "New Orchid Society" in the 19th year of Jiaqing (1814) by Chen Rixin. In the 24th year of Jiaqing (1819), the "Tengqi Society" (also known as Wenzhen Society) was founded by Zhang Tiande. The "Chongwen Society" was established in the sixth year of Tongzhi (1867). In the second year of Guangxu (1876), the "Daguan Society" was initiated by Chen Jihui from Xue Tian Village in Wuri District. Each society pooled their resources to purchase land; the rental income was used to set up a local school in the temple’s annex, hiring local scholars to teach, promoting local culture and nurturing talent. Additionally, two local examinations were held annually at the Wenchang Temple, awarding scholarships to encourage local talent, thus earning the reputation as a cultural birthplace in the Taichung area. The Daguan Society is the last remaining society of the temple, holding an annual festival at the temple on the 10th day of the eighth lunar month. After Taiwan's cession in 1895, it became a Japanese colony along with the Penghu Islands. In the 31st year of the Meiji era (1898), the temple was temporarily used as the campus for "Plow Shop Public School," which was moved to the current location of Nantun Elementary School in the 38th year of Meiji (1905). The architectural layout and land area of the Wenchang Temple, as recorded in the religious registry survey during the Taisho era, had developed into a structure facing northeast toward the southwest, with a main hall featuring a worship pavilion flanked by two side rooms. There was also a wall in front of the temple, the total area of which was approximately 94 ping, and the overall area was about 660 ping, making the temple domain spacious. At that time, the primary deities worshipped were Zitong Emperor, Zhu Yi Emperor, and Kui Dou Jun.
