Sanfong Temple: Kaohsiung’s Gorgeous Canopy of Red Lanterns

Sanfong Temple in Kaohsiung is one of the most beautiful temples in Taiwan. This is thanks in no small part to the stunning canopy of red lanterns hanging in its courtyard.

Despite its convenient location near Kaohsiung Station and Formosa Boulevard, where many visitors stay in Kaohsiung, the temple remains relatively off-the-beaten track. I was the only person there last time I visited!

In this article, I’ll cover everything you need to know to visit the temple, including how to combine it with nearby Sanfong Central Street and Sanmin Market for lunch or dinner.

Late 2025 Update: They are currently doing some renovations on the temple, so you can currently only see the canopy of lanterns from below (standing under them), not from above (2nd or 3rd floors, like the below phot). See more info in my guide to what’s closed in Taiwan right now.

Sanfong Temple Quick Intro

Sanfong Temple (三鳳宮 or san feng gong) may also appear as Sanfeng Temple, Sunfong Temple, or Sanfong Pavilion.

The san (三 or “three”) refers to its location Sankuaicuo (三塊厝), which today is called Sanmin district (三民區) in the Kaohsiung city center. The feng (鳳 or “phoenix”) refers to Fengbitou Mountain (鳳鼻頭山), a hill in the city.

The temple has a history going back over 350 years. In 1673, it was established as a smaller shrine dedicated to Nezha (哪吒), a Taoist deity and guardian of local residents.

Like most ancient temples in Taiwan, Sanfong Temple has been moved and rebuilt several times. The current location and three-story structure date to 1971. It thus became the largest Nezha Temple in Taiwan and one of the first to have multiple stories – a blueprint that many others would later follow.

Prominent Taiwanese temple architect Xie Zinan (謝自南) designed the temple, while the door guardian paintings inside are considered the pinnacle work of Pan Lishui (潘麗水).

During Taiwan’s White Terror period, pro-democracy activists gathered in the temple, lending it the name “democracy temple” (民主廟). Later-to-become president Tsai Ying-wen also once began a street campaign from the temple.

In recent years, the addition of the red lantern canopy has catapulted the temple to Instagram, YouTube, and Tik Tok fame – you might call it one of the most “Instagrammable” temples in Taiwan.

Also read about Kaohsiung’s Fo Guang Shan Monastery, the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan

Getting to Sanfong Temple

The easiest way to get to Sanfong Temple is to walk there.

The temple is a 15-minute walk from Kaohsiung Station (MRT and where trains arrive in the city) and Formosa Boulevard MRT (famous for the Dome of Light art installation and Liuhe Night Market).

Many visitors stay in hotels near these two stations (see my recommended places to stay in Kaohsiung). If you stay in one of the many hotels west of the stations, you’ll be even closer to the temple.

If you prefer a shorter walk, you can ride a local train from Kaohsiung Station one stop to Sankuaicuo Station (1 minute, swipe EasyCard), from where it’s a seven-minute walk to the temple.

You could also ride the local train from Zuoying Station (the train station here near Lotus Pond, 10 min), Xinzuoying Station (connected to Zuoying HSR station, 12 min) or from Tainan (1 hour) to Sankuaicuo Station. Search the local train times here.

Coming from Yanchengpu area (including Pier 2 Art Center or Cijin Island), ride the Orange Line to Cianjin Station (exit 4). It’s a 12-minute walk from there.

Another great option is to ride a YouBike to Sanfong Temple. My YouBike guide includes info about how to lock your bike while visiting the temple.

Best Time to Visit the Temple

Sanfong Temple is open from 6 AM to 10 PM every day of the year. Pretty much anytime will do, but if you want that beautiful blue sky above, the sky tends to be clearer in the morning.

In the evening, the lanterns are lit and the temple take on a totally different vibe. The lanterns are lit from around 6 to 10 PM, but photographers will get the most magical results from 6-7 PM, when the sky still has a little color (“blue hour”).

If you happen to visit the temple on the 9^th day of the 9^th lunar month, you’ll get to experience a temple carnival related to the birthday of Nezha.

The dates for this will be: October 29 in 2025, October 18 in 2026, and October 8 in 2027.

My Visit to Sanfong Temple

When I arrived at Sanfong Temple, I found that the exterior of the temple looks much like many others in Taiwan.

I was greeted by a pair of stone lions (石獅) on either side the wide entrance staircase. These lions serve to protect the temple, represent the prestige and authority of the temple, and provide balance (陰陽 or yinyang), as one is female and the other male.

I saw the temple’s name, 三鳳宮, displayed in traditional right-to-left order on the gable above the lowest roof tier.

To enter the temple, I walked between two intricately carved stone columns. Right away I could see the internal courtyard (中庭), above which the many red lanterns hang.

At the back of the courtyard is the main shrine where a statue of the Taoist guardian Nezha is found.

The ground floor also has some side altars for Matsu (媽祖, goddess who protects fishermen), Li Fu Qian Sui (李府千歲, another protector deity), and others.

In my haste to see the canopy of lanterns above, I took a set of stairs on the right to the temple’s second floor, the Great Buddha Hall (大雄寶殿則), which enshrines bodhisattvas like Guanyin, Maitreya, and the Buddha himself.

In Taiwan, it’s not uncommon to find Taoist and Buddhist deities mixed together in the same temple like this.

I found that the best view looking down on red lanterns is undoubtedly from the second floor.

Looking closely at the lanterns, I could see that each one has the characters 三鳳宮 (Sanfong Temple) on one side and a person’s name on the other – likely individuals who donated money to the temple.

It’s also possible to go up to the temple’s third floor, the Vaulted Celestial Hall (凌霄寶殿), where there are more Taoist deities, such as the Jade Emperor.

The top floor also has “brightness lamps” (光明燈), or stacks of small lit up figures representing individuals who made donations.

Local devotees go to the third floor to pray for longevity and protection from disasters.

While I could also look down on the red lanterns from one walkway on the third floor, it wasn’t as complete of a view as from the second floor.

Also read: How to Pray for Love at Longshan Temple in Taipei

Other Places to Visit Near Sanfong Temple

There are two other attractions very close to to Sanfong Temple, so it only makes sense to visit them on the same trip.

Sanfong Central Street

Sanfong Central Street (三鳳中街, here) is a traditional shopping street which takes its name from Sanfong Temple. It is only a 2-3 minute walk north of the temple.

The covered shopping street features all manner of dried goods, like tea, dried fruits and seafoods, Chinese herbs, and traditional candies. This is Kaohsiung’s answer to Dihua Street in Taipei.

Just like Dihua Street, Sanfong Central Street attracts masses of people in the weeks leading up to Lunar New Year. The street is quietest on Sundays and Mondays, when some shops take a break.

See my guide to Sanfong Central Street for more info.

Sanmin Market

Half a block west of Sanfong Temple, there’s a traditional daytime market called Sanmin Market (三民市場, here).

The indoor market section, which has meats, produce, tofu, and the like, is open from 6AM to 3 PM daily, but very quiet on Mondays.

Sanmin Street (三民街), which runs east to west on the north side of the market, is an extension of the market.

The street is lined with product and food stalls and hole-in-the-wall restaurants. These are popular at lunchtime as well as in the evening, when it takes on the vibe of a small, very local night market called Sanmin Street Night Market (三民街夜市).

Go to Sanmin Market for a traditional Kaohsiung lunch or dinner before or after you visit Sanfong Temple and Sanfong Central Street.

If this sounds fun to you, also see my guide to other cool street markets in Taiwan.