A woman surnamed Luo, on the other hand, said the custom is a ritual she keeps regardless of the economic or political situation.
"This is a Chinese tradition that I do every year for my family, whether the economic or political situation is good or bad," she said.
Chang said the guangmingdeng and An Tai Sui are actually products of modern society. An Tai Sui, for example, was traditionally performed at people's homes, and people would worship the image of Tai Sui on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month.
The busier lifestyle in modern society, however, has made people entrust the job to the temple. These services have generated substantial funds for the temple since January, since lighting a luminary costs from NT$600 to more than NT$2,000 for a large light.
Besides the Longshan Temple, another famous temple, Paoan Temple, also offers guangmingdeng and An Tai Sui services. Hsingtien Temple does not offer such services.
"We followed the traditional ways and encourage people to get an idol of Tai Sui and worship it at home. This is a more effective way to get your prayers answered," said Lee Chu-hua (
The traditional practices of local temples, however, have also gone through changes. Many temples stopped burning ghost money five years ago, and began to accept online registration for guangmingdeng or An Tai Sui services.
The next step, Chang said, could be to eliminate the burning of incense out of environmental concerns.
But some of the Lunar New Year traditions -- such as the famous incense-snatching ceremony at Hsingtien Temple on New Year's Day -- will continue to attract crowds to local temples to seek good fortune for the coming year.
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