black long beard deity in Hsiahai City God Temple in Taipei, Taiwan
from : In the center of Xinzhu City at 75 Zhongshan Road stands one of the oldest and largest City God temples in Taiwan. In fact, it has the name "Provincial Cheng Huang Temple," its deity having been promoted to the equivalent of a Provincial Governor by a Qing Dynasty Emperor. It was first erected in 1748 and has been reconstructed many times since. It perhaps provides a better example of the official role of City God temples than does Taibei's Xia Hai Cheng Huang Temple, the identity of which was for so long tied to one immigrant group's identity. The Temple in Xinzhu houses a deity who has become famous for miraculous acts of protection for an ever widening constituency. He and his temple cult presumably served well their function within the Qing Dynasty state religion--to support state officials in maintaining peace and order. He was repeatedly awarded promotions and honorific plaques by Qing Emperors. His temple became, and today remains, a center for ritual performances by some of Taiwan's most prestigious Taoist priests. The prominence it gained through its role in the state cult and organized Taoism has been reflected in the large scale of the temple's annual events, such as the ritual procession held in the middle of the seventh month ("ghost month"), a contemporary example of which is described below.
Size: 5150px × 3406px
Location: Taipei Taiwan Asia ROC "Republic of China"
Photo credit: © frank siedlok / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: city, deity, god, hsiahai, taipei, temple
