Ching Shui Temple
Location: No. 1號長褔街 Sanxia District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 237
Hours:
7 days a week from 4:00am-10:00pm
Phone:+886 2 2671 1031
The full name of the
temple is Ching Shui Yen Tsu Shih Temple and it is located in the Wanhua
district of Taipei. The temple was built during the Ching Dynasty (aka Qing
Dynasty) in 1787 A.D. It is one of the oldest temples in the area and is
special because it doesn’t worship the Buddha or traditional deities but a
person. He was a well-respected monk so the people built a temple for him after
his death. He is regarded as the guarding deity for An-Hsi immigrants to
Taiwan.
There is a legend
behind why the deity’s face is black. It is said that one time when he was
meditating alone in the mountain, he came under the attack of ten demons. They
set him on fire for seven days and nights straight but only his face was burnt
because of his strong faith. The demons were impressed and four of them decided
to follow him and become his guards.
Other than
celebrations on Chinese New Year, there are also celebrations on Ching Shui
deity’s birthday on January 6 of the lunar calendar. The ritual performed is
called 禮斗 (Dipper Worship). A large pale is filled with rice to
signify good harvest, then a fan and a sword is inserted into the rice. They
are all items to help build prosperity in the future.
There are some
English signs located at this temple for tourists and the employees are
learning foreign languages to better educate visitors on the history of Ching
Shui temple.
0 comments: