Nearly 100,000 worshippers visited Nantou County’s Zihnan Temple every day during the Spring Festival break, making it a veritable pickpocket’s paradise. As many as nine pickpocket cases were reported at the temple on the second day of the Lunar New Year alone, which caught the attention of the local police precinct in Jhushan Township. The precinct subsequently set up a mobile police substation near the temple and mobilized several plainclothes police to monitor the situation, which was apparently effective in deterring pickpockets from thieving and also helped put the temple’s mind at ease.
Jhushan Township’s Zihnan Temple is one of Taiwan’s most famous Earth God temples. It is an especially popular destination among temple-goers looking for a place to make offerings during the Spring Festival, attracting boisterous throngs of worshippers who gather at the plaza in front of the temple every day. People even queue up in extremely long lines to borrow money from the temple. The seasonal swarm of gatherers also seem to serve as an exploitable opportunity for pickpockets.
Zihnan Temple says that even though it always increases its theft prevention guidance every year, nine people still fell victim to pickpockets on the second day of the Lunar New Year this year, with one temple-goer losing more than NT$30,000.
Photo: Chen Hsin-jen, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者陳信仁
After the temple contacted the local police, the precinct dispatched more police officers to go undercover, monitoring the area, making video recordings and collecting evidence.
The temple says that during the Lunar New Year break the police set up a mobile police substation and dispatched plainclothes police officers at the temple plaza after a pickpocket case was reported. Starting on the third day of the Lunar New Year, no more pickpocket cases were reported for the remainder of the holiday. The temple urges worshippers to be on high alert as a continuous influx of temple-goers visit the temple up through the Lantern Festival.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)
Photo: Hsieh Chieh-yu, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者謝介裕
南投縣竹山鎮著名土地公寺廟紫南宮春節期間每天都湧入近十萬香客,也成為扒手作案的天堂,大年初二竟發生高達九起扒竊案件,引起竹山警分局重視,不僅增設機動派出所,還動員多名便衣警力現場監控埋伏,果然有效遏阻扒手出沒作案,讓廟方安心不少。
竹山鎮的紫南宮為國內知名的土地公廟,更是春節假期香客出遊拜拜的熱門去處,使得廟前廣場每天都呈現萬頭攢動的熱鬧景況,連借發財金都是大排長龍,人潮洶湧卻也讓扒手有機可乘。
紫南宮指出,雖然每年都加強防竊宣導,但大年初二還是發生九起香客遭扒竊失財案件,有名香客甚至損失達三萬餘元。
經與警方聯繫,竹山警分局立即加派員警人力在現場埋伏監控及錄影蒐證。
紫南宮表示,警方於春節期間在寺廟廣場設有機動派出所,而傳出扒竊案件後,亦配合加派便衣員警,果然從初三開始至春節連假結束均未再傳出扒竊案件,由於到元宵節這段期間,前往拜拜的香客還是絡繹不絕,呼籲香客提高警覺。
(自由時報記者陳信仁)
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