Religions in Taiwan

April Tsai

There are a large variety of religions and

gods in Taiwan. It is accepted that a

person believes in several of them at the

same time, which is very different from

the concept “a devout Christian can only

believe in one God” in western

countries.

I would say that because gods and

goddesses in Taiwan are not as all-

powerful as Jesus, so it’s necessary

to be lots of them and each one has

its own duties and responsibilities to

different aspects.

Some take charge in agriculture; another might bring peace to people. The temple of each one is different, though they all look the same to foreigners and confuse them a lot. I believe it will be a lot of fun for you to know them.

The Most Popular God

Tuu-Di-Gong ( 土地公 )

Tuu-Di-Gong has always been the most popular god in Taiwan, who takes care of agriculture, domestic animals, and lives of every villagers.

http://library.taiwanschoolnet.org/cyberfair2003/C0324100123/p1.htm

Legend has it that there was a kind man always being willing to help others. After he dead, he became the god caring all people, and everyone sees him as Father. That’s me!

Although his temples are so little that even a kid has to huddle himself up inside

one, the number of them in Taiwan is incredibly large.

Wow!!

We can see two or even three of them on a side of a country road every where, looking like a large doll’s house with a small table and a wooden puppet.

Country road~

Of course, the puppet with a big smile and silver beard is Tuu-Di-Gong, and his kind and ordinary appearance (just like Grandpas of you and me!) keeps no one in awe.

Mha-Tzuu ( 媽祖 )

Mha-Tzuu is another popular goddess in Taiwan, especially in villages near the sea. She is the guard of fishermen keeping them away from danger in the sea. Hundred years ago, lots of peoples came here from China.

http://www.dajiamazu.org.tw/

Crossing the tiny Taiwan Straits you see now on the map was a big challenge for them because of its strong and unpredictable waves. So, those people prayed for peace and safety from Mha-Tzuu.

After a tough journey through the straits, the lucky survivors cheered and thanked for the great goddess’s blessing.

The two introductions of Tuu-Di-Gong and Mha-Tzuu clearly explain that people of Taiwan in the early time made their living as farmers and fishermen mostly.

Lives could sometimes be tough because of the weather or natural catastrophes; as a result, people turned to the gods and prayed for blessing, which strongly emphasized the importance of gods and goddess.

What I think

You can see that the “great gods” in our hearts are not those whose status is the highest; oppositely, we respect the ones that concern us the most and also, the closest to us.

Moreover, you can find out all gods and goddesses were good and kind people in their lifetime, and after they died, they become parts of legend. It shows that we the Taiwanese are always appreciative and grateful. I’m glad we own this great characteristic and make the world more peaceful and warmer!

Mysterious Temples

Hundreds of temples are distributed in Taiwan, reserving traditions, cultures, arts and spirits of Taiwan which are obviously originated from China.

Entering the old buildings, you will be surprisingly amazed by beauties of each small piece of painting and wood engraving. Do they confuse you: What are the meanings of them?

???

門神 the Guard of the Temple

Don’t be scared of the two huge guys on the door as you enter a temple. They are 門神(the gods of door). The fierce faces can scares bad lucks away and keep the gods live well and happy.

Hey, I’m

tired. Want some coke?

香 Joss Stick

The mist filling the whole temple comes from joss stick we burn. When we pray, we hold one or more and the smoke will pass our words to the gods!

Carving

On the wall, elaborate carving is on the wall. There can be people, animals and fruit. Some is stories telling about gods. It is beautiful.

Marvelous!

Dragons

Dragons are everywhere in a temple. They can sometimes represent gods, or let us say, they are pets of gods.

Phoenixes (probably very different from yours). Kylins ( 麒麟 , Chinese unicorns), and turtles (representing long life) are also animals that bring good luck which you can often see in a temple.

Any difference?

Lions In front of the doors, there

are two stone lions. It is easy to recognize which one is male or female if you watch carefully: the one with a ball is the male one (Boys always love sports, don’t they?); the other one holding a baby lion is the female one. They aren’t like lions in Africa, right?

There are still countless gods and goddesses and their legendary stories in Taiwan. All in all, religions in Taiwan are composed of hundreds of gods and goddesses, which are somehow complicated but interesting.

Hey, why don’t you visit Taiwan and experience charms of cultures yourselves? That will be fun, I promise!

Bye Bye!