Religious Folklore

aipeChapter 13i T Religious Folklore Taipei was founded over 120 years ago. Taipei not only has played a leading role in politics and economics; its influence over religion and folk art cannot be easily overlooked with the aggregation of cultural groups spread throughout the nation. The melting pot of different cultures, earcustoms, and religions of many ethnic groups has created y Taipei’s distinctive cultural characteristics. Taipei is a typical immigrant city with a growing cultural diversity that derives from the religious cultures, customs, and lifestyles brought into the city by immigrants. Everyone, from government officials to representatives of civilian organizations, participates in the religious bookcelebrations and ceremonies of this vibrant city. 臺北市年鑑 Taipei Yearbook 2 0 0 5 Religious Folklore 宗教禮俗 brought here by immigrants from their ancestral homes. These holidays are based on farming, aiwan is a gathering place for diverse cultures, and Taipei is a typical immigrant city. The religious religion, and social activities. Although modern Tcultures, customs, and lifestyles of different groups brought into Taipei by its immigrants make Taipei Taipei no longer has elaborate and formal the melting pot of many cultures and define its cultural characteristics. The religious activities occurring ceremonies, we can still see vestiges of this in Taipei include Buddhist and Taoist ceremonies, traditional temple fairs, Christian church gatherings on tradition in the rituals and religious activities that Sundays, gatherings of foreign immigrants, and Muslim sermons at the mosque on Xinsheng S. Road. In took place in each of the seasons in 2005; we can addition to maintaining the existing traditional folk customs, new cultural events are continuously being also bear witness to the creativity used in adapting added, enriching Taipei’s unique cultural characteristics season after season. and developing these activities for life in modern Taipei. Ⅰ Vibrant Ceremonial Gathering 1. Spring Celebration Lion dancing integrates various folk sports. When celebrating the New Year according to Temple fair activities throughout Taipei the traditional customs, families gather “around are the most typical display of traditional folk the stove” to have a New Year’s Eve reunion supper. As the New Year arrives, many local residents visit the culture, most notably the parade activities held various landmark temples, including Hsingtien Temple, Longshan Temple, Guandu Temple, and Songshan by temples. Residents pray for peace and good Siyou Temple. They pray for good fortune and burn incense to the gods. Some attend church services and fortune, and come away spiritually cleansed. pray for peace throughout the New Year. The refreshing feeling of a brand new year lasts until the fifth day In honor of a given deity’s birthday, residents of the New Year. from each neighborhood celebrate with fervor, a The Lantern Festival, which takes place on Jan. 15th kind of friendly competition among the various of the lunar calendar, extends the New Year festivities. localities an important part of local religious Everyone actively participates in the Lantern Festival. activity. Temple activities not only improve People always remember the traditional folk activities of relations among neighbors, but also stimulates lighting fireworks and floating lanterns. In recent years, local economic development as well. Taipei has created the world famous “Taipei Lantern Taiwan’s traditional agricultural society Festival.” The Department of Civil Affairs draws on its celebrates many holidays, which had been many years of experience in combining traditional and modern elements, using performance, modern technology, and traditional lantern features to create a city celebration unique to Taipei, while attracting over 5 million attendees to experience its modern customs and lifestyle. This Taipei Ceremonial activities help improve relations and strengthen ties event attracted more attendees in 2005 than ever before and among neighbors. is a must-see international celebration for foreign tourists. Besides international sightseeing festivities, traditional community-based folk activities continue to be deeply embedded in everyone’s lives. Activities include “Lantern Riddles” which challenge wisdom and knowledge, and “Attack the Fort” which stresses teamwork. In Neihu’s Mujiantou area, one can find the famous “Teasing the Earth God” on the night of the Lantern Festival; you can really The Taipei Lantern Festival, combining the modern experience folk customs through the blinding fireworks, with the traditional, has become a world famous tourist Traditional folk performances are a display of religious destination. ceremonies. deafening sounds, and smoke-filled sky. These folk 220 221 臺北市年鑑 Taipei Yearbook 2 0 0 5 Religious Folklore 宗教禮俗 activities, which have been held for years, make the Lantern Festival a unique and outstanding experience Beginning from Mar. 5th of the lunar calendar, the show “Folk Drama-The Surname Show” is put on at traditional holiday for Taipei residents. the Baonn Temple Garden Square. The Baoan Temple Choir, the famous Gezai opera societies, and North Wind instrument opera groups, puppet show groups, and school community groups are invited to perform. 2. The Changching Temple Hakka Uncle God’s Birthday Festival On Apr. 22nd, folk arts competitions and performances are held. The Song-jiang Parade, the Twelve Old The Changching Temple is located on Jinjiang Street in the Guting area, and is over 210 years old. In Ladies Parade, the Dragon Parade from Tatung University, and various other groups are invited to perform. 1983, local residents provided donations to support its expansion, which has been completed. In recent At 7:00 P.M. that night, the fire lion, holding tens of thousands of beehive fireworks in its stomach is years, due to the participation of Hakka seniors in temple matters, Changching Temple has become the ignited, lighting up the sky. On Apr. 23rd, the folk custom of “crossing fire” is performed, a demonstration main area for the Hakka Uncle God religion in the greater Taipei area. To promote solidarity among of the power of the gods. In addition to the various traditional festivities, the Baoan Temple arranges the Hakka constituents, in 2004, the Taipei Hakka Affairs Commission began to celebrate the “Birth of activities to record the Baosheng Cultural Festival, including photography and sketching competitions. It Hakka Uncle God” on the second day of the second lunar calendar month at the Changching Temple in also conducts religious seminars, traditional Chinese and western medical clinics offering free treatment, conjunction with the Hakka organizations and local residents to celebrate the Earth God’s birthday. folk art study camps, and tour guide study camps. 3. The Hakka Three Mountain Kings Ceremony 6. The Matsu Cultural Festival in Taipei Similar to Taiwan’s local deity Yiminye the Three Mountain Kings myth was brought over by the The “Return of the Gdden-Face Matsu to Taipei Hakka. The Three Mountain Kings were the patron gods of the Hakka immigrants. The religion spread ” ceremony in late July of 2004 was received throughout Taiwan and among immigrants and other groups. Every year on the birthday of the Three warmly, and brought attention to the social Mountain Kings, fellow Hakkas travel to the Three Mountain Kings temples throughout Taipei to celebrate meaning behind Matsu belief. To maintain and and pray for peace. spread this treasured cultural heritage, the 10-day long “2005 Taipei Matsu Cultural Festival” was 4. Visiting Ancestral Graves held during the middle of the third Lunar month. Fourteen major temples in Northern Taiwan Visiting ancestral graves during the Qing-Ming Festival is a traditional holiday, but the actual visit participated: Sanzhi Fucheng Temple, Taiwan, takes place on different days for the various Taiwanese ethnic groups. For the Hakka, the auspicious day Chenghuang Temple, Taipei Tianhou Temple, occurs after the Lantern Festival; for the Zhangzhou people, on Mar. 3rd of the lunar calendar; and for the Hsinchu Tianhou Temple, Xinzhuang ciyou Quanzhou people it occurs on “Qing-Ming Day.” According to modern Taipei customs, a holiday around Temple, Taipei Guandu Temple, Shilin cicheng the time of Qing-Ming Festival is chosen. Incense, candles, and fruit are brought to the ash towers and Temple, Nangang Funan Temple and Nanfu gravesites. The Taipei City Government arranges Temple, Xinyi Tianhou Temple, Beihai Shengyun for additional necessary transportation on this day Temple, Wanli Shuntian Temple, and Songshan to help ease traveling congestion for residents, ciyou Temple. Tens of thousands of pilgrims adding a modern touch to this ritual. visited daily to prostrate themselves before and cast their eyes on Matsu, recreating the grand 5. The Baosheng Cultural Festival occasion of the Golden-faced Matsu in Taiwan In recent years, to celebrate the birthday of nearly a hundred years ago. Baosheng Ta-Di, the Dalongdong Baoan Temple has sponsored the annual Baosheng Cultural Festival, which takes place during March of the lunar calendar. This festival, which combines religious activities with folk art, has attained international acclaim and has become the leading The Baosheng Cultural Festival invites excellent traditional opera The 14 temples of Northern Taiwan join forces to hold the traditional temple fair in Northern Taiwan. groups to perform. spectacular Taipei Matsu Cultural Festival. 222 223 臺北市年鑑

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