A Mini Guide to the Sunfong Temple Kaohsiung & My Honest Review 2025

One of my highlights during my visit to Kaohsiung in Taiwan was definitely checking out Sunfong Temple.

Sunfong Temple (also called Sanfeng Temple) is actually one of the most impressive and beautiful temples I’ve seen in Taiwan. It’s a Taoist temple originally built in the early 1600s (so it’s got some real history), and it’s dedicated to the Taoist deity Nezha,  a super popular figure in Taiwanese folk religion, known as a bit of a playful troublemaker but also a protector.

The whole place just feels incredibly detailed and lively, with that classic bright red and gold color scheme, intricate carvings, and all those red lanterns everywhere. It’s free to enter and still an active place of worship, so you’ll see locals coming to pray or light incense, which I thought made it feel really authentic and alive.

A Quick Overview: Sunfong Temple

Entrance Fee: Free

Opening Hours: 6am – 10pm

Best Time to Visit: Come during the day to see all the details, but also at night to catch the lanterns all lit up.

Good to Know: Be respectful, this is an active temple and there will be people actually praying here.

Sunfong Temple Kaohsiung City – My Experience

When we visited, we went to Sunfong Temple pretty early in the morning because we had loads of things on our Kaohsiung itinerary that day, so this was basically our first stop.

We arrived via the red line MRT and then had to walk quite a bit actually. I’m sure there’s a more efficient way to get there, but honestly, I don’t mind walking.

The temple wasn’t very busy, and we just walked right in. It was so beautiful on the inside, and there were some super friendly locals who welcomed us. We walked around, explored, and took some pictures. At first, I wasn’t sure if it was okay to just take photos, but there were quite a few other Japanese and Chinese tourists doing the same, so I figured it was fine.

On both sides of the temple, you can walk up the staircases to the upper-level pagodas, which I thought was the best spot to take a picture.

How to Get to Sunfong Temple Kaohsiung

Sunfong Temple isn’t in the most convenient location, but it’s still totally doable. It’s actually kind of close to the city center. We took the red MRT line (direction: Gangshan South) to Kaohsiung Station and then walked from there, which took around 20 minutes and was totally fine.

There are also buses that can get you closer, but I didn’t try those. Of course, there’s always the option to grab a taxi or an Uber, but we didn’t mind the 20-minute walk from the station at all.

Best Time to Visit Sunfong Temple

When it comes to visiting Taiwan in general, I’d say the best time of year is spring or fall, just because the summer gets so hot. I was in Taiwan in April, and even then it was already borderline too hot. Some days I didn’t even want to be outside all day exploring.

I’d recommend coming in March or October; I could imagine those months would be perfect.

In terms of the time of day, I’d say come in the morning to see the temple in daylight, which is what we did and it was amazing. But the temple is open until 10 pm, and with all the red lanterns I bet it looks stunning at night too, maybe even more magical after sunset.

Is Sunfong Temple Worth Visiting? My Final Thoughts

Absolutely. Sunfong Temple is one of my favorite temples I saw in Taiwan. It’s free to enter and just so beautiful. The architecture and all the red lanterns really make it special.

It’s an active temple where people actually come to pray every day, so it’s not like a “tour” kind of place. I did a lot of online research myself to learn more about it before visiting. Even so, I thought it was totally worth it, and I got to take some great pictures too. Huge recommendation from me.

Check Out My Other Tainan & Kaohsiung Travel Guides

Is Tainan Worth Visiting?: My Honest Review

Food in Tainan: My Where to Eat in Tainan Travel Guide

Cafes in Tainan: My Top Coffee Shops & Cafes in Tainan

Things to Do in Tainan: My Favorite Activities in Tainan

2 Days in Tainan Itinerary: How I Spent 48 Hours Here

Where to Stay in Tainan Taiwan: Best Areas & Hotels in Tainan City

Kaohsiung Itinerary: How I Spent 3 Days in Kaohsiung

Is Kaohsiung Worth Visiting? My Honest Review of Kaohsiung

Things to Do in Kaohsiung: My Favorite Kaohsiung Attractions

Where to Stay in Kaohsiung City: My Favorite Areas & Hotels in Kaohsiung

Sunfong Temple: A Mini Guide to Sunfong Temple

Dragon & Tiger Pagodas: A Mini Guide to the Dragon & Tiger Pagoda

Check Out All My Taiwan Travel Guides

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Taiwan Travel Insurance: My Top Travel Insurance for Taiwan

Taiwan Travel Itinerary: My Perfect 2 Week Itinerary Taiwan

Taiwan Travel Guide: My Full Taiwan Travel Guide

Things to Do in Taiwan: My 12 Favorite Things to do in Taiwan

Solo Travel in Taiwan: My Guide for Solo Travelers & Backpackers

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