Zihnan Temple (紫南宮) in Nantou County’s Jhushan Township (竹山) is the No. 1 choice for people wishing to pray during the Lunar New Year for wealth and good fortune, according to an online poll conducted by the Web portal Yam.
At the temple, where the main deities are Tudigong (土地公, Earth God) and his wife, worshipers can borrow up to NT$600 for investment, which can be repaid within a year, according to the temple’s Web site. Worshipers usually throw divination blocks for a sign that they have the deity’s “permission” to borrow the money.
Visitors are also invited to touch a chicken statue at the temple for good luck, the Web site says.
Photo: CNA
Fude Temple (福德宮) in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和) ranked as the second-most popular place of worship for people hoping for wealth in the new year.
The temple compound sits on a hill overlooking greater Taipei and is dominated by a 36m tall statue of Tudigong.
In third place was Fu-an Temple (福安宮) in Pingtung County’s Checheng Township (車城), the largest Tudigong temple in the nation.
At that temple, the main Tudigong statue wears a crown and a dragon-patterned robe, which legend says were donated by Emperor Qianlong (乾隆) of the Qing Dynasty, and several gold plaques around its neck.
The statue was named the best-adorned deity in the nation by Yam columnist Jack Chang (張天傑), who recently published a book on temples around the country.
Wude Temple (武德宮) in Yunlin County’s Beigang Township (北港), where the main deity is Chao Kung-ming (趙公明), was listed fourth in the poll.
Chao Kung-ming oversees four other wealth deities. With the god’s “permission,” worshipers can obtain a loan from the temple for investment if they promise to repay twice the amount borrowed.
Chang named Wude Temple as having the most splendid architecture among all temples in the nation.
Rounding out the top 10 in the poll were Dunhe Temple (敦和宮) in Nantou County’s Caotun Township (草屯), Caishen Temple (財神廟) in New Taipei City’s Jinshan District (金山), Wulu Caishen Temple (五路財神廟) in New Taipei City’s Shihding District (石碇), Kuandi Temple (關帝廟) in Kaohsiung, Yonglian Temple (湧蓮寺) in New Taipei City’s Lujhou District (蘆洲), and the Xia Hai City God Temple (霞海城隍廟) in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山).
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