From September of last year to the beginning of this year, an Italian friend visited Taiwan to conduct her new research and fieldwork on the treatment of Eastern deities in museums. This research required a significant understanding of the production, invitation, and exit rituals of Taiwanese deities. It also touched upon sensitive and taboo topics, such as the reasons for discarded or no longer worshipped statues, and how Taoism, Buddhism, Western Christianity, and Catholicism approached and addressed these issues.
During that period, I met her frequently to explore these issues and accompanied her on several fieldwork assignments, covering a wide range of religious and folk cultures, including ceremonial rituals and customs. I tried to emulate her keen observational skills in finding clues, and through intensive interviews and in-depth analysis of collected data, I sought to unravel the mystery. It was a truly rewarding opportunity and experience.
In mid-January, I attended an interesting lecture at the National Taiwan University Museum of Anthropology: “That Year, They Went to Orchid Island.” The speaker said, “Just a chat about what happened that month on Lanyu Island. No academic content, just some hot air.” Although it was just a chat, it piqued my interest in pursuing the story. “I also wanted to use the pictures and text to record some of the unique and interesting experiences and reflections I’ve had while conducting field research with an ethnologist during those days.”
*Click on the first image to open the photo gallery.
Gods in Distress
In the past, while hiking in the mountains, I often saw statues clustered along the roadside, but I didn’t pay much attention. I also never considered the related historical information or origins of the statues in temples or at home. This time, my friend’s research fieldwork allowed me to delve deeper. The religious beliefs, customs, and rituals surrounding these statues, as well as the social issues surrounding the unworshipped deities, all warrant reexamination and reflection on how we should treat and respect them.
It’s all due to fate
Someone told a friend about a temple on Songshan Mountain that houses abandoned statues, but did not tell the exact location. A video online revealed that Sishou Mountain boasts mining ruins, hidden statues within the forest, and countless other abandoned deities. So, in mid- and late September, we made a special trip up the mountain to search for and visit these temples, which led to further interviews with the masters. I also hiked some nearby ancient trails, which gave me a clearer idea of the routes through the Nangang Mountains in Songshan. This unexpected beginning to my search has led to a wealth of enriching and fascinating insights. As one of the nun masters once said, “It’s all due to fate.”
緣份 (yuanfen) in Mandarin means “fateful coincidence,” describing how the natural affinity in human relationships or chances for an event to happen are backed by actions done in previous reincarnations (therefore, yuanfen is explained by karma). Yuanfen has Buddhist origins but it became a common word in the Sinosphere.
Meeting the Master of Songshan Zen Temple
That day, I went with my Italian friend to the summit of Tiger Mountain in Songshan to explore the unique temples and statues I’d seen online. After a tiring climb of long stone steps, we came upon a Zen temple nestled on the mountainside. A table near the side entrance displayed some statues that caught my friend’s attention, and she asked for their contact information. The presiding Zen master, a female Zen master, personally brewed delicious tea and chatted with us. Her conversation was elegant and gentle, yet brimming with unwavering conviction. She was very kind and gracious, and once even invited us to lunch. It was a truly unique opportunity to share a vegetarian meal with the masters. The master often said that many human affairs are connected to “fate.” I, too, believe in “chance” and hope to learn from the master, purify my mind, cherish the present moment, and let everything flow without forcing it.
A Nervous Interpreting Experience
My friend urgently needed to help translate for an interview with a Mr. Zhang from Xinzhuang. I was quite nervous beforehand, anticipating the specialized terminology. Fortunately, perhaps due to our shared Xinzhuang location and knowledge of the Zhang Guangfu family’s prominent and wealthy past, I was able to alleviate some of the unfamiliarity and nervousness. Later, I had the opportunity to attend the Liugu Ma Festival at Taishan Doen. I learned that the Zhulin Temple Guanyin Ma Festival, which still adheres to the traditional rotating celebration format, has become a significant religious event in Taiwan. I’m grateful to have met so many different people through these experiences.
Joining the Taipei Five Fortunes Association on a Southern Pilgrimage to Qingkunshen Chaotian Temple
In October, we followed Taipei Five Happiness Group which got two large trucks carrying the deities and sedan chairs and also five sightseeing buses, including Chao ensemble members, to go The Grand temple of Chin-Kwen-Shen in Tainan. It was the first time for me to go the pilgrimage with such big group. Visiting different temples and gods, watching the wonderful folk cultural rituals such as the parade performances, the procession to pray, the spirit medium descent etc., it made me feel the precious communication with friendship not only for gods and gods but also existed between people. It was a rich and interesting pilgrimage folk culture trip.
Typhoon day arrived in Fengjia, Taichung, as planned
The day before had been sunny, but the next morning, the weather turned bleak and the sea surged. The waterfront platform and trails of the original fan-shaped salt pan’s land art installation, “Tree of Life,” were largely submerged. We arrived in Taichung as planned, but the typhoon hit. The wind and rain were even more intense at night, with incessant howling and thumping noises. My friend was so worried that she didn’t sleep well all night, but I was already asleep, oblivious to the noise outside. As soon as I left the house that morning, I saw the road sign, swept to the ground by the strong wind, in a mess. It was a truly unique experience.
The amulets at Chaohe Temple in Banqiao
That day, while admiring the beautiful, shimmering golden architecture and decorations of the temple, the chairman of the temple suddenly pulled out an amulet from each of several nearby boxes and gave it to my friend. She said one would be enough, but the former director insisted that each amulet, each bearing a different deity’s blessing, offer protection for safety, health, and wisdom. He insisted that each be blessed with a Tiangong incense burner and wear it to attract good luck, ward off misfortune and disaster.
Gi-Tong (Tâng-Ki)
During the pilgrimage in Tainan at the end of October last year [Fig. 4], I witnessed Mr. Chen’s spirit medium, touching his cheek with burning incense. After the ceremony, he suddenly slammed the altar vigorously and rhythmically recited the instructions of the deity. It was particularly impressive. During our first interview in Sanchong that day, to prove the god’s divine power, he immediately threw divination blocks to see if god allows to prove its power. He then took three large sandalwood sticks in each hand, lit them, and invited the spirit to descend. Soon, he was in spirit form, and he began to paint his cheeks with the red incense tips. It was quite shocking to see. But after the god’s spirit retreated from the spirit medium’s body, only a few black marks remained, not the burns one might expect. He felt no pain. He kept the face as it was and prohibited to wipe the marks with liquid. It was truly astonishing and incredible.
My mother’s chance encounter with the small deity statue
I’ve heard that some temples were founded by villagers who found floating statues or sacred trees and began to enshrine them. Unexpectedly, my mother had a similar opportunity. When she was a child, living in an old thatched cottage in Jiangzicui, Banqiao, she found a small deity statue floating on the water in a field near her home after a typhoon. She picked it up and took it home. Later, after her family moved to a new place in Xinzhuang and the passage of time, she had forgotten about that small statue and what happened to it until she talked with my friend, then she recalled it. A few days later, during a meeting with my uncle, a key member of the Five Fortunes Association, he took us to the shrine hall to see the deities he enshrined. He pointed to a small statue on the side and said, “This one was picked up by your mother when she was a child.” It’s unclear how this small statue ended up in my uncle’s hands. He briefly embellished it and has since enshrined it on the altar. It’s a truly amazing story about a small deity statue!
Consecration Ceremony
We were suddenly informed that a consecration ceremony for a newly renovated statue was being held at a temple. We hurried over to find the brushes, cinnabar, and other necessary materials already laid out on the altar table. Just before the time for the ceremony to begin, the devotee who was inviting the gods to consecrate the statue pulled a white rooster from a nearby cardboard box. The rooster cried and struggled. I knew nothing about the consecration ceremony, but I began to worry about whether the rooster would be slaughtered. I felt relieved when I saw that the Taoist priest simply mixed a small amount of the rooster’s comb blood with cinnabar and performed a spell to open the eyes to activate the spirit. The devotee would choose a day to invite the gods back, so they took the rooster home first. According to online searches, this consecrated rooster is quite special; no one dares to kill it, but it seems no one wants to keep it either, so it will be released into the wild.
The Fu Luan Ceremony
At the Daitian Temple in Keelung, the main Luan prays to the spirits to guide the movement of a Luan pen on a cushioned altar, writing out the desired message and reciting it aloud. A nearby Luansheng listens and records the message. Every Saturday morning, Luansheng practised their own Luan descent, with their teacher guiding and correcting Luanwen verses. In the afternoon, the official Fu Luan ceremony took place. On that day, I even saw the main Luan blessing amulets and pearl rings. Afterwards, there was a Luan training session, interpreting and explaining divine oracle verses, offering a unique opportunity to study and cultivate literary talent through the study of scriptures. It was a truly unique and magical first encounter.
Taoism
I’ve always been confused and had trouble distinguishing between Taoism and Buddhism. It was only through fieldwork, which exposed me to Taoist rituals and interviews with several Taoist priests, that I gradually gained a better understanding of Taoist thought, rituals, and schools of thought. The complex and mysterious instruments, talismans, divination techniques, and spells are fascinating, but truly understanding them remains a vast, profound, and somewhat esoteric discipline.
Lecture at Academia Sinica: How to Conduct Taboo Research
Watching and listening to her confident speech, I thought of the difficulties she met in researching such a rare topic on “The Treatment of Eastern Deities in Museums.” This topic not only touches on the broader understanding of Taiwanese folk culture and the transformation of social life, but also on certain aspects, such as the taboo of deifying deities, or “de-sacralization,” which further complicates interviews and field research. I assumed Taiwanese people would be more open to talking to foreign researchers, but in reality, they still find it difficult to deal with obscure grey areas or sensitive topics.
The world has changed
Before my friend left Taiwan, I went with her to visit a small temple she had previously researched. As soon as we got off the bus, we discovered the surrounding area had been fenced off with a high wall. Entering the apartment complex, we found a quiet, dark alley. The buildings, once an activity centre, were shuttered, with only red notices announcing a power outage plastered on doors and windows. Walking until the end of the alley, we saw that the small temple was locked, which was closed and devoid of the neighbours who usually gathered for tea and chats. After asking an exerciser and also the temple owner’s contact, we learned that the small temple had been relocated to the Sanxia area due to land development and road construction. We walked back to the bus stop with a sense of melancholy. The large temple in the distance still stood, but the surrounding buildings had been demolished and levelled, leaving the neighbouring factory no longer standing. We wondered where a craft master, once known for displaying so many divine deities, had moved. Seeing the once bustling factory area reduced to a barren wasteland was truly a sad sight.
