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During the Ming Yongli period, Zheng Chenggong used Taiwan as his base and vowed to overthrow the Qing dynasty. At this time, many immigrants from Zhangzhou and Quanzhou in mainland China moved to Taiwan to open up new land. Among them, people from Tong'an County, Quanzhou Prefecture, respectfully brought the statue of the Great Emperor of Preserving Life to Taiwan to pray for his blessings. In the 27th year of Ming Yongli (1673 AD), Zheng Jing moved the Riwu Town troops stationed in the Fengshan area (now Renwu Township, Kaohsiung County) to the Zhuo Luo area (now Chiayi City) to garrison. The Quanzhou soldiers also brought the statue of the Great Emperor of Preserving Life to the Zhuo Luo area to serve as the guardian deity of the army and civilians. In the 31st year of Ming Yongli (1677 AD), the soldiers built a small shrine to enshrine the statue, marking the beginning of the Renwu Temple. In the 40th year of the Qing Kangxi era (1701 AD), the Zhi County of Zhuo Luo, Mao Fenglun, advocated for the construction of a temple and commemorated the main deity as the Great Emperor of Preserving Life, who was revered by the soldiers of the Renwu Town. The temple was named Renwu Temple, making it the oldest temple in the Chiayi area dedicated to the Great Emperor of Preserving Life. After the construction of the Renwu Temple, it underwent several renovations and expansions during the Yongzheng, Qianlong, Jiaqing, Daoguang, and Xianfeng periods. In 1938, during the Japanese Showa period, the mayor of the city, Kawata Shirakata, ordered the demolition of 63 temples in the city, including the Renwu Temple, as part of the Japanese policy of promoting imperial subjects. The temple's property was confiscated and taken over by the Japanese, and the statue of the Great Emperor of Preserving Life was moved to the City God Temple. The temple's property was occupied by a Japanese man named Ban Hachiro, who opened a South and Harmony Company. This destruction resulted in the loss of many valuable cultural relics. In 1945, after World War II, the Chiayi gentry raised funds to purchase the property rights of the Renwu Temple and rebuilt the temple. On the first day of the first lunar month in 1947, the statue of the Great Emperor of Preserving Life was welcomed back to the temple, and the Renwu Temple was restored to its original function. In 1961, the temple underwent another renovation, which included rebuilding the front hall, adding new walls and a roof, and constructing a four-pillar pavilion and left and right verandas. The temple's architecture is characterized by its intricate carvings, paintings, and ornate roof tiles. The temple's main structure is made of camphor wood, which has significant preservation value. The temple's doors are adorned with murals created by the renowned artist Pan Lishui. Despite undergoing several renovations, the temple's original appearance has been preserved, and its carvings, paintings, and stone and wood sculptures are still exquisite. Inside the temple, there is a stone incense burner from the 30th year of the Daoguang era, which originally enshrined the statue of the Great Duke. The temple is famous for its divine lottery sticks, which are believed to be highly effective. Many devotees claim to be the "adopted sons" of the Great Emperor of Preserving Life, a folk custom aimed at seeking the deity's blessings.