臺灣文化「譯」起讀

No one knows exactly how many gods and goddesses there are in the Taiwan. Among the “Gods” in Taiwan, some are saints, demons or ghosts. Many Gods were once mere mortals on Earth. I will introduce 3 major famous Gods in this article.

First one is Mazu (often spelled Matsu). Taiwan’s most popular goddess is Mazu. She was born in Fujian in 960 AD. According to legend, she had made many miracles before she passed away at 26.

According to one well-known story, in an ocean storm, she saved her fisherman father and her brothers while she was still a teen girl. Why she is so popular in Taiwan is because when Fujian people were leaving, they prayed to her before they set sail. When they arrived Taiwan, they established temples to express their gratitude.

The second one is Guanyin. Guanyin (sometimes spelled Kuanyin) began in India. Initially, Guanyin is bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in male. But in Taiwan, Guanyin is the Buddhist mercy goddess. People have been worshipping her since the 12th century. Guanyin’s statue is a kind woman. Her left hand holds an ancient scroll or a book and her right hand makes a mudra gesture. She is the principal deity in both Mengjia Longshan Temple and Lugang’s Longshan Temple.

Last one is Jade Emperor. He is the creator of the universe. The Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Shangdi in Chinese) isn’t as common and popular as Matsu in Taiwanese temples. His birthday is on the ninth day of the first lunar month. Although he is not as popular as Matsu, people still pray and celebrate his birthday.

Next time when you come to Taiwan, you can visit Taiwanese temples and pray for good luck. It will be a special experience.