Local history and culture experts in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽) called on the Chingshui Zushi Temple to make sure temple visitors do not damage the site’s architecture.
An expert who wishes to remain anonymous said tourists and visitors are forcing coins into the mouths of wooden lions and damaging the sculptures.
The expert said the visitors wished to pray for good luck, but that their actions were selfish.
Photo: Chang an-chiao, Taipei Times
The expert said he asks visitors not to put coins in the sculptures’ mouths whenever he sees them doing so, adding that temple staff should do more to protect the sculptures.
Forcing coins into the artworks not only scratches the wood, but could also eventually break the sculpture, the expert said.
Former temple director-general Cheng You-tsai (鄭有才) said the 14 wooden lions at the site were the work of Chen Cheng-hsiung (陳正熊), adding that the sculptures are part of the temple’s columns.
Cheng said that Chen had used Makassar ebony imported from Indonesia that had been soaked in water for a year before completing the sculptures.
It was not a two-part casting process, like most modern sculptures are, Cheng added.
Such work is priceless and rare, and more than just part of the temple, Cheng said.
One of the temple’s faithful, surnamed Chang (張), said that most people who leave coins in the lions’ mouths are not aware of the value of the sculptures and believe the practice is a tradition of the temple, as other visitors leave coins as well.
The temple is filled with cultural treasures and works of art, Chang said, adding that visitors of all religious and non-religious backgrounds should be respectful when they enter.
Temple general affairs division head Liu Chin-ta (劉金達) said that the temple did not house any deities related to wealth, but many visitors leave coins in the lions’ mouths in hopes that the monk god Chingshui Zushi will answer their prayers.
Liu said that the lions were not the only items to suffer damage and that coins have also been found on some of the sculpted decorations on the railings, adding that children have been responsible for other damage.
Temple staff said that although they try to prevent such incidents, too many regulations could anger believers.
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