Wenwu Temple 文武廟: Discover Sun Moon Lake’s Most Picturesque Temple

Background:

Sun Moon Lake (aka Zintun in the local Thao language) is the largest natural lake in Taiwan and home of the aboriginal Thao tribe. According to legend, a white deer led the tribe to the lake and is now trapped in a marble stone on Lalu Island, which is sacred ground to them.
The name “Sun Moon Lake” comes from the different colors of the water in the lake, some of it being murky, and in other parts of the lake, clear. Another account says that the name comes from parts of the lake being round like the sun, and other parts of the lake being curved like the moon.
The first hydroelectric plant was built on the lake in 1919 by the Japanese, and it was later taken over by the ROC government. The hydroelectric power is part of a system of hydropower plants running from Wushe to Sun Moon Lake down to Shuili Township and includes at least 8 plants.
Sun Moon Lake Scenic Area was created in 2000. The lake attracts visitors from around the world year-round for its beauty and surrounding sights, and is also known for the annual Sun Moon Lake Swimming Carnival, which thousands of people attend each year.

The Wenwu Temple (文武廟) at Sun Moon Lake is located on the northern hillside of the lake in Nantou County, Taiwan. It was originally formed in 1932 after the construction of the Sun Moon Lake dam, merging two smaller temples — Longfeng Temple (龍鳳宮) and Yihua Hall (益化堂) — and completed at its current site in 1938. The temple was rebuilt in 1969 under the design of architect Hsieh Tzu-nan (謝自南) from Penghu, and completed in 1975 in a grand “Northern Dynasty style” (北朝式) with strong government support. The temple complex has three main halls: the first is the worship hall, the second the Martial Sage Hall (武聖殿) dedicated to Lord Guan (關聖帝君), Yue Fei (岳武穆王), the City God (都城隍爺), and the Earth God (福德正神), and the third is the Great Achievement Hall (大成殿) honoring Confucius (孔子) and other sages. Side halls include the Medicine Buddha Longevity Hall (藥師延壽殿) and the Yue Lao Hall (月老寒拾殿). Behind the temple, a viewing platform overlooks the full panorama of Sun Moon Lake. The temple also features a unique set of 100 divination sticks (籤詩) based on the Heavenly Stems (天干序) system.

Price:

Scenic Area Entrance: Free
Parking: Around 100 NT per day for cars
Ferry Ride (starting at Shuitou Pier): 300 NT per person. You can book tickets for a discount on Klook here.
Paddle Boat Ride: 300 NT per person
Gondola Ride (Ropeway): 500 NT per person
Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village: 980 NT per person. You can book tickets for a discount on Klook here.

Hours:

Wenwu Temple: 8 AM to 8 PM
Parking: 24/7
Boat Ride: roughly 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM every day
Gondola Ride: 10:30 AM – 4:00 PM every day
Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village: 9:30 AM- 5 PM every day

Tours:

There are many tours and activities available at Sun Moon Lake such as SUP / standup Paddleboarding, Electric Boating, Canoeing, and Paddle Boarding, Water bike experience, Ebike Rental, and Kayaking
You can find more tours of Nantou on Klook here or KKday here.

Cherry Blossom Season:

Cherry Blossoms can be seen in the park from February to late March. Check out our full guide to Cherry Blossom Season in Taiwan here. 

Firefly Season

Firefly season at Sun Moon Lake is from May to June. Check out our firefly season guide here.

Where to Stay:

We have stayed at and recommend Kirin Villa (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here), a mountain resort in Puli near Sun Moon Lake.
Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands.

How to get there:

Bus: There are buses (Ubus/Kbus/etc) that leave all day from Taichung Station. You can book tickets to travel to Nantou via inter-city bus on Klook here.
You can book tickets to Taichung via high-speed rail (HSR) on Klook here or KKDay here, or book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here, then switch to a bus to Nantou.
By Car/Scooter: Take National Highway 6 from Taichung up to Puli, and then follow the signs on Highway 21 down to Sun Moon Lake. You can also take a car/scooter up Highway 21 from Shuili Township further south. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. Looking for scooter rental in Nantou? Search Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here.
Boat: You can circle the lake via three spots: Shuise Pier, Xuanguang Pier, and Ita Thao Pier.
Bicycle Rental: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here.

Map:

Check out the map above.

Drone Footage:

Play

Or you can check out our 360-degree panorama above.

Our Journey:

I have been to the Wenwu Temple several times. It has some of the best views of the lake. I highly recommend hiking to the top and taking photos behind the temple with Sun Moon Lake in the background. This place is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to Nantou.

From the main entrance, if you come to Sun Moon Lake from Puli, Wenwu Temple will be to the left up a hill. There is limited free parking on the side of the road here that can fill up quickly on holidays.

View of the main gate at the temple.

Main worship hall at the front of the temple.

Buddha statues for sale.

Temple Mime.

More ornamentation in the temple.

View of Ci En Pagoda from the temple.

Another amazing view of the lake from near the temple.

Aerial view from behind the temple, showing the three main halls.

Concrete gates behind the temple.

Top-down view of the temple.

Last view of the entire temple complex.

Check out our full guide to Sun Moon Lake here.

Check out our full guide to Nantou County here.

Check out our guide to Taiwan here.