Wenwu Temple Introduction
During the Japanese occupation, there were originally two temples by Sun Moon Lake: the Lungfeng Temple in Shueishe Village and the Yihua Hall in what was originally Bugil Village (now Yuanshan Village). Later, due to the construction of a power generation project by the Japanese, the water level of Sun Moon Lake rose, necessitating the relocation of the two temples. The Taiwan Power Company purchased the temple assets, and the temples used the money to select a new site for merger and reconstruction. In 1934, the temples were rebuilt at Songbailun on the north bank of Sun Moon Lake, and the relocation was completed in 1938. In 1969, the Wenwu Temple was remodeled into a grand architecture in the style of Northern China's early dynasties. The temple consists of three main halls: the front hall on the second floor is Shuijun Palace, which enshrines the founding ancestor and Wenchang Dijun, the middle hall is Wusheng Hall, which enshrines Guan Sheng Dijun and Yue Wumu Wang, and the rear hall is Dacheng Hall, which enshrines the Sage Confucius, among others, with Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist deities coexisting. The Dacheng Hall of Wenwu Temple is the only Confucius temple in Taiwan with a middle gate, which according to the temple authorities, was created for the convenience of the many visitors to Sun Moon Lake and does not carry any specific meaning. However, the bronze statue of Confucius in the Dacheng Hall is the only Confucius temple in Taiwan that holds an image of the saint. In addition to the statue of Confucius, there are also statues of Mencius and Zisi. These three statues originally belonged to China and after various circumstances ended up at the Higashiyama Fudō temple in Japan during the late Qing dynasty's Boxer Rebellion, and were later replicated and moved to Wenwu Temple. The statues of Yan Hui and Zengzi were later created by their descendants to accompany Confucius on either side. The large red stone lions on both sides of the square in front of the temple are also a focal point for visitors. This pair of lions was donated by Wu Huo-shih, the founder of the Shin Kong Group, and thus the local residents affectionately refer to them as "Wu Huo-shih". Wenwu Temple is backed by mountains and faces the lake, with a majestic terrain and beautiful scenery, serving as a faith center for nearby residents, with a prosperous incense offering. Climbing up to the observation deck of the rear hall provides a distant view of Sun Moon Lake, offering a wide vista that feels like embracing the world.
