My first ceremony/puja (Fa Hui) ever seen in Taiwan

Here is my first time visit to temple in Taiwan and hence will stay here for few weeks to accomplish my main objective of Global Citizen Programme (GCP). I'm feel gladly and grateful to have the pleasure to catch sight of the ceremony in Yuan Bao Temple. Without further ado, I will share my impression and some information towards the ceremony.

My first attention is：Tangyuan!!!

The traditional Tangyuan is consists of red and white colors which represent gold and silver separately. It is made by glutinous rice flour and water. Once people make and eat Tangyuan, it implication wealth, reunion and auspicious. Tangyuan of Yuan Bao Temple is very popular and it is free for the believers for the day!

The purpose of the ceremony is to thanks the gods for the benediction during the whole years. Therefore, it held at the year’s end of lunar calendar. The ceremony starts around 9.30am. There are few rounds of ceremony held and it end around 4pm. Few Scriptures recited by the Taoist priests with language of Taiwanese Hokkien (Min Nan) along the ceremony as every god has their own Scripture. The believers have to gratitude towards three worlds: world of desire (human, ghost, animals), world of form (free of baser desires, dhyāna-dwelling gods) and world of formlessness (gods).

Other than to show the appreciation towards the benediction by gods, the believers also have to give a salute to the spirits deceased for peacefully between human and spirits. Therefore, the offerings such as food will be prepared for the god and the spirits of deceased. Other than that, joss paper and incense also is necessity of the ceremony. The believers can send away their bad luck in year past and usher in good luck for the new year. 

Committee members of Yuan Bao Temple will help the believers that wish to participate the ceremony prepare the offerings. For those believers wish to prepare the offering by their own, they may bring along the offering to the temple before the ceremony of worship get started.

One dishes of the offering to the gods is longans that pluck from the 200 and more year’s old tree in the Yuan Bao Temple! I will share the information of this tree in future.

The spirit to manage the Ying’s world (spirit of deceased) will possess the statue after the red cloth removed.

It is a very good experience for me to know one of the ceremonies of the Taoist. I learn something new and feel the sincerity of the believers want to have a better life. On the other hand, we need do more charity and good thing since everyone will have their own karma. This ceremony is cool to me and valuable. 

= The ceremony is held from 30 January to 1 February in year 2015.