Name of Temple: Taichung City Wanhe Temple
Commanding deity: Mazu
Address: No. 51, Wanhe Road Section 1, Nantun District, Taichung City
Brief introduction: According to the legend, the statue of Meizhou Mazu (commonly known of Mazu) enshrined in the Wanhe Temple was respectfully brought in by Zhang Quo (張國) from Meizhou to protect Nantun in the 23rd year of Kangxi Emperor in Qing Dynasty (or in 1684). So, Meizhou Mazu has come to Taiwan for more than 300 years.
Initially built as a small temple, the Wanhe Temple was expanded into a large one with the financial support by early Nantun settlers under 12 surnames in 1726. The name "Wanhe" symbolizes that everyone should “live in harmony with one heart and one mind” under the blessing of Mazu. The temple has been a religious center in the greater Taichung area since it was built.
The Wanhe Temple is deeply imbued with the traditional architectural styles of Zhangzhou and Quanzhou in China. Shaped like “日”, the Wanhe Temple is composed of three halls, two courtyards, and covered porches on the two wings. Positioned in a west-sitting and east-facing arrangement, it is highly structured and richly ornamented in an antique way.
The Wanhe Temple was rated as a class 3 national historic monument by Ministry of the Interior in 1985, and the temple's management has spared no effort to well maintain it over the years.
To promote local culture, the Wanhe Temple added the Wanhe Cultural Building in June 1993, whose basement is used for restaurant, the first floor for office, the second floor for conference, the third floor for library, the fourth floor as Heritage Hall, and the fifth floor as Jute Art Culture Museum. As the first non-governmental local cultural center in Taichung City, the Jute Art Culture Museum has also set up a "Creative Gallery” to showcase the artworks of local and nationwide artists for five to six times every year, thus unearthing a lot of local art talents. The Wanhe Temple has also started to provide interpretive services since a team of volunteers was established in 2003.