Wenwu Temple Introduction
During the Japanese colonial period, there were originally two temples by Sun Moon Lake: Longfeng Temple in Shuishe Village and Yihua Hall, which was formerly located in the village of Bugiji (today known as Jiyue Village). Later, due to the Japanese construction of power generation projects, the water level of Sun Moon Lake rose, requiring both temples to relocate. The Electric Power Company purchased the assets of the temples, and with the money obtained, the temples combined and rebuilt at a chosen location in 1934 on the northern shore of Sun Moon Lake in Songbolun, with the relocation completed in 1938. In 1969, Wenwu Temple was reconstructed in a style reminiscent of Northern China’s architectural style, grand in scale and imposing in presence. The temple is divided into three halls: the front hall on the second floor is Shuiyun Palace, which enshrines the founding ancestor and Wenchang Dijun; the middle hall is the Martial Saint Hall, which enshrines Guansheng Dijun and Yue Wumu Wang; and the back hall, Dacheng Hall, enshrines Confucius and other deities from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism all coexist in harmony. The Dacheng Hall of Wenwu Temple is the only Confucius temple in Taiwan with a central entrance; according to the temple, this was done to facilitate the large number of tourists visiting Sun Moon Lake, and it holds no specific connotation. However, the bronze statue of Confucius in the Dacheng Hall is the only Confucius statue in Taiwan that is worshiped, and in addition to the statue of Confucius, statues of Mencius and Zisi are also present. These three statues originally came from China and, during the Boxer Rebellion at the end of the Qing Dynasty, ended up at the Shakuyōji Temple in Japan, later replicated and moved to Wenwu Temple. As for the statues of Yan Zi and Zeng Zi, they were later created by their descendants and surround Confucius. The large red stone lions on both sides of the square in front of the temple are also a focal point for tourists; that pair of stone lions was donated by Wu Huoshi, the founder of the Shin Kong Group, so locals affectionately refer to them as “Wu Huoshi.” Wenwu Temple is backed by mountains and faces the lake, with magnificent terrain and beautiful scenery, serving as a center of faith for local residents with bustling worship activities. Climbing up to the observation deck of the back hall offers a distant view of Sun Moon Lake, a broad vista that encompasses the grandeur of the world.
