Taoyuan Confucius Temple 桃園孔子廟

5/13/2024

Taoyuan Confucius Temple is Taiwan's newest Confucius Temple, built in 1989. Besides being a ceremonial and worship area for local students and teachers, it also has beautiful gardens and great views of Taoyuan City. There is also a large children's park right next to it. It is a great place to relax if you are in Taoyuan.

Brief Historical Background:
The Taoyuan Confucius Temple was completed in Huotou Mountain Park in 1989 and is the newest of Taiwan's thirteen government-established Confucius temples.
On November 28, 1955, the Taiwan Government decided to establish Confucius temples in each county and city to promote traditional Chinese beliefs and teachings. As there was no Confucius temple in Taoyuan at the time, the statue and shrine of Confucius were placed in the Taoyuan Wen Chang Temple.
In 1984, locals felt that the Wen Chang Temple was insufficient to express reverence for Confucius, so the people of Taoyuan initiated an effort to establish another Confucius temple on Huotou Mountain.
The temple was completed and inaugurated on September 28, 1989, and includes the Dacheng Hall, Dacheng Gate, East and West Wing Halls, and Chongsheng Shrine.

After its completion, local residents formed the Taoyuan County Chongsheng Association, which provides student scholarships awarded to students in both public schools and private schools in the area.
Teachers and students also perform rituals in the temple. Ritual processions include the beating of drums and gongs, welcoming a deity into the Dacheng Hall, and presenting incense and food offerings at an altar. After the ceremony concludes, with the deity is taken away, and the ritual ends.
Over the years, people have suggested simplifying the ceremony and offering vegetarian offerings, however, Taoyuan Confucius still used meat offerings until 2007.
Also, despite protests from government officials regarding mixing Taoism with Confucianism, there is a wooden statue of Confucius placed in the east wing of the temple donated by the Chongsheng Association. The statue, carved from camphor wood and painted, stands about three feet tall. The statue was planned to be removed but after protests from parents and students, the statue was allowed to stay.

Hours:
8 AM to 5 PM every day

Price:
Free

Where to stay:
Looking for a hotel in Taoyuan? We recommend the Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport which has great service and is conveniently located right next to Taoyuan Airport, the MRT, and HSR station (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here).
We also recommend the Fullon Hotel Taoyuan which also has great service and is located in downtown Taoyuan City (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here).
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

Activities in Taoyuan:
Ice Skating, Rock Climbing, Mountain Climbing, Cycling, High Ropes, Ziplining, Archery, Vietnamese BBQ, Batting Cages, Glamping, Van Camping, Photo Shoot, Turkish Mosaic DIY, Thai Massage, Painting, Baking, Go Karting, Imax Theater, Japanese Style Buffet, Tourist Factory Experience, peach and fruit picking, Ring-making DIY, handmade popsicle DIY, and more on on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here.

How to get there:
By Car: Taoyuan Confucius Temple is behind Taoyuan Senior High School on Houtoushan. There is limited paid parking next to the temple.
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here.
By Scooter: Taoyuan Confucius Temple is behind Taoyuan Senior High School on Houtoushan. There is limited paid parking next to the temple.
Looking for scooter rental in Taoyuan? Search Klook here or KKday here to look for options.
By Bus: The temple is within walking distance of Taoyuan TRA Station. You can book tickets to travel to Taoyuan via inter-city bus on Klook h ere. Book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here.
By Bicycle: 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 use Taiwan's many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a cycling tour on TripAdvisor here.
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here.

Map:
Check out the map below:

Our Journey:

We have been to Taoyuan Confucius Temple once. It is a beautiful temple with great views of the valley below. Also, there is a fun children's park next door and hiking trails nearby. It is definitely an area worth checking out.

Check out our drone video above for an overview of the area.

360 degree aerial view of Taoyuan Confucius temple and the surrounding are of downtown Taoyuan. I got here one minute...
Posted by Foreigners in Taiwan 外國人在台灣 on Friday, February 3, 2023

Or check out the 360 degree spherical panorama above.

The Confucius Temple comprises of the main temple, and a large garden in front of it. There is parking on the east side of the temple.

View approaching the east side of the temple.

The parking lot is pretty big and you are basically guaranteed a spot here.

Another view of the front entrance.

View of the front of the temple from the gardens out front.

Another view of the front entrance.

View overlooking the gardens.

View from inside the main gate.

Usually you will need to sign in here.

Map of the area.

View of the hallway along the west side.

Main courtyard in the temple.

Another view of the main courtyard.

View of the hallway.

Some steles of scholars.

Side altar.

View of the ceiling decorations on the main shrine.

View inside the main shrine.

Instruments used for rituals on display.

View from the back courtyard in the Confucius Temple.

Children's artwork in the temple.

Another view from the central shrine.

Side shrine with the infamous wooden statue of Confucius. Confucius temples are supposed to be kind of non-religious and not feature gods or statues. Despite protest from government officials of mixing Taoism with Confucianism, there is a wooden statue of Confucius placed in the east wing of the temple donated by the Chongsheng Association. The statue, carved from camphor wood and painted, stands about three feet tall. The statue was planned to be removed but after protests from parents and students the statue was allowed to stay.

Another view from the hallway on the west side.

Another shrine on the west side.

Historical exhibit.

View of the sky over the temple.

Another view from the entrance.

Giant bronze bell.

Explanation of rituals in the temple.

Ceiling ornaments.

You can see more photos from inside the temple in the gallery above.
I should say that I arrived after 5 PM but I snuck in through the white side door above. There was an angry dog who barked at me. In the end the guard locked the door with me inside. I somehow unlocked the door and let myself out after taking these photos.
The thing that annoys me the most about Confucius Temples is that they close at 5 PM.

Gate to the outer garden.

There is also a locked off fish pond and traditional Chinese bridge and pavilion near the garden, but it was blocked off for some kind of renovation when I visited.