After being shunned for decades because of a local superstition, the Great Buddha in Changhua County has begun attracting couples with the beautiful scenery atop the newly reinvigorated Baguashan (八卦山).
According to legend, couples who visit the massive Buddha sculpture are destined to separate, as the Taoist immortal and infamous playboy Lu Tung-pin (呂洞賓), who is known for dismantling romantic relationships, is also enshrined in the temple.
The superstition is strengthened by another legend that a couple died after hanging themselves from the statue, leading residents to either warn couples against visiting it or suggesting taking a partner there if they wish to break up.
Photo: Chang Tsung-chiu, Taipei Times
However, over the past few years, the Changhua County Government has worked to reinvigorate its most famous tourist destination.
In collaboration with the Changhua City Government, it has organized Valentine’s Day and singles events at the plaza in front of the Buddha and enlivened its often-ridiculed market.
At the forefront of its newfound popularity is the new Guashan Village (卦山), which houses 20 shops featuring local artists, and hosts a variety of arts and crafts activities.
Photo: Chang Tsung-chiu, Taipei Times
The city government’s efforts have paid off with rising visitor numbers, transforming the staid attraction into a hot spot for young travelers — especially couples.
On White Day on Sunday, the mountain was packed with visitors enjoying the nice weather.
Among them was a couple wearing traditional Indonesian wedding attire, accompanied by friends and a photographer.
The newlyweds made their way from the archway near the visitors’ center to Nine Dragon Pond, stopping to take photos and receive good wishes from passersby, the Great Buddha omnipresent behind them.
A friend of the couple said that the two would often come with friends both before and after getting married.
To them, the Great Buddha represents Changhua, so they decided it would be the perfect spot to take wedding photos, they added.
The newlyweds said they had never heard of the legend, but would not believe it even if they had, as superstitions have no place in a rapidly advancing society.
“So many people come to take wedding photos,” Baguashan Great Buddha Scenic Association chairman Chang Shih-liang (張世良) said.
People are conflating the Taoist immortal Lu with the legends about him that flourished during the Song Dynasty, he said.
Lu was just a pleasure seeker, not a relationship destroyer, Chang said, adding: “Legends are not facts.”
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
RSS