Wang Yishun came from a poor family in a village famous for its carpentry. He began apprenticing from an early age, and was an accomplished carpenter by the age of 18.

His fame soared after he came to Taiwan in 1919 to rebuild Manka Lungshan Temple. Although he did not leave behind a large body of work in Taiwan, the work that he did here has had a great impact. Lungshan Temple is one of his best known works.