The city's traditionally built Confucian temple is a Grade 1 historical site, and the Taoist Yuanching Monastery is the only monastery of its kind in Taiwan, also serving as a shrine to the Jade Emperor. Outside the southern city gate sits the Nanyao-kung shrine to Mazu, which is constructed in a very distinctive style with Grecian columns.
彰化市古蹟多，人文薈萃，依傳統建制的孔廟是國家一級古蹟，「元清觀」則是台灣唯一以「觀」為名而供奉玉皇大帝的寺廟，南門外的「南瑤宮」奉祀媽祖，希臘式的柱頭建築頗具特色。