Lively local cultural activities were held at San yuan Temple and Yuansheng Temple in Tao yuan County’s Bade Township last Thursday and Friday. At Sanyuan Temple turtle-shaped cakes were offered and Taoyuan County Commissioner John Wu prayed for county residents to receive blessings. At Yuansheng Temple a ceremony placing the gods of war and wealth on their altars was held and blessed money was lent to worshippers.
Last Thursday was the God of Earth’s birthday, and Sanyuan Temple held its annual event in which turtle-shaped cakes are presented as offerings. The temple prepared quite a lot of the tiny turtle-shaped cakes, which were given to people to take home to pray for peace and prosperity. Wu also bestowed upon the temple a 300kg turtle-shaped cake, praying for the peace and happiness of county residents, and for the county government’s every wish to come true.
The activities lasted from 9am until 7pm, and included amateur performance troupes, lion dancing, folk acrobatics, street vendors, as well as song and dance troupes, making for a boisterous day. The congregation making the cake offerings held its ceremony for 40 minutes starting at 10am. It was led by Wu with Bade Township chief Ho Cheng-sen accompanying him. Experts later gave a guided tour of the temple’s historical architecture.
photo: Hsieh Wu-hsiung, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者謝武雄
The purpose of the turtle-shaped offering is to pray for peace and prosperity. The event has become a unique cultural custom in Bade. People are supposed to give someone else a turtle-shaped cake the following year that was the same size as the one they received the year before, allowing the happiness one obtains to be shared with others.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)
桃園縣八德巿三元宮和元聖宮，上週四、五兩天熱鬧滾滾的民俗文化活動登場，前者有祈龜活動，桃園縣長吳志揚為縣民祈褔；後者武財神安座，出借發財金給信眾。
photo: Hsi Yan-hsia, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者席艷俠
上週四是土地公生日，三元宮一年一度祈龜活動登場，廟方當天準備許多小米糕龜，讓民眾求平安帶回家，吳志揚也將敬贈一隻重達三百公斤米糕龜，為縣民平安幸褔祝禱，為縣政亨通祈願。
活動從上週四上午九時持續到下午七時，有陣頭、祥獅獻瑞、民俗技藝、園遊會、歌舞表演等，熱鬧一整天。其中，祈龜法會在上午十時到十時四十分，吳志揚主祭，八德巿長何正森等人陪祭。之後專家導覽三元宮的歷史建築。
祈龜用意在祈求平安，祈龜活動已成八德巿獨特的地方民俗文化。民眾乞得米糕龜後，翌年要捐出自己乞回的米糕龜相同分量，讓他人祈求，把幸福延續下去。
photo: Chou Min-hung, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者周敏鴻
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