Taiwan Religious Culture Map

Wenchang Temple was built in the 2nd year of Emperor Jiaqing's reign in the Qing era (1797 CE) with locally-raised funds. At first, it was called ""Wenchang Temple of Litoudian"" (old name of Nantun Old Street), and set up a shexue (community school), making it the birthplace of education in the Taichung area. Wenchang Temple gradually established more shexue, i.e., Hsinlan, Wenlin, Chungwen, and Daguan. The temple has many ancient plaques from the Qing era, two sets of stone pillars in the baiting (worship pavilion), and two dongdui (couplets hung below the central pillars in the main structure of a complex), which show the development of shexue in the Qing era. In the 31st year of the Meiji era (Japanese colonial period; 1898 CE), the Japanese government used Wenchang Temple as the school building of Litoudian Public Elementary School. In the face of the Japanization-oriented education promoted by the colonial government in the 10th year of the Taishō era (1921 CE), local gentry strove to preserve traditional Chinese-language education, and in line with the Taiwan New Culture Movement, formed the Nantun Changming Association. Wenchang Temple continues to advocate cultural education up until this day. Though the building was rebuilt in the style of cloisters and pavilions typical of temples dedicated to learning in 1972, it deserves praise for its preservation process and cultural role. It represents the values of good traditional beliefs, historical buildings, and social education.