Confucian temples usually exude the calm, grace and dignified beauty of traditional Chinese culture and this, the first such temple in Taiwan, doesn't disappoint.
Entry to the temple grounds is free, but you must pay to enter the palace area. Look out for the stone tablet on the right as you enter the Edification Hall. It explains the school rules (the site was once a centre for Confucian studies), such as prohibition of gambling, drinking and cheating.
The temple is part of a larger cultural zone that includes the Old Tainan Martial Arts Academy , a renovated Japanese dojo (building where martial arts are practised) built in 1926 and once used to train the colonial police force (not open to the public).
Across the street from the temple entrance is a stone arch that was crafted by masons in Quanzhou, Fujian, in 1777. It's now the gateway to a pedestrianised street filled with cafes and small eateries.
