RS100 = Top 100 Religious Scenes of Taiwan.
The "Top 100 Religious Scenes of Taiwan" encompass a hundred iconic religious sites and activities that were chosen via public vote and announced by the Ministry of Interior on Nov. 22, 2013. these sites embody the history of early Taiwanese settlers and illustrate both diversity and the island's religious landscape.
Sung Shan Tsu Huei Temple is the spiritual center for believers of Yaochi Jinmu (Queen Mother of the West) in Northern Taiwan.
The Yaochi Jinmu faith is a folk religious sect that originated in Hualian in 1949. Over the following decades, temples dedicated to the goddess have been established one after another and have drawn a following all over Taiwan. The Yaochi Church was originally named Tsu Huei Hall. Many temples where Yaochi Jinmu is worshipped still bear the name “Tsu Huei” in their titles. Since its establishment, Sung Shan Tsu Huei Temple has systematically organized religious rites to teach luánwén (religious scriptures) to the public and disseminated the doctrine of Yaochi Jinmu. The temple also carries out devotional ceremonies for believers to become “blessed children” (qìzǐnǚ) of the deity (a relationship slightly similar to that of a godparent or patron god), and performs the soul recalling (shōujīng) ceremony to “recall” or pacify the souls of individuals who have experienced frightening or traumatizing events. Over time, such activities attracted increasing numbers of believers to become devotees of Muniang (Mother Empress, a reverent name for Yaochi Jinmu) and transformed Sung Shan Tsu Huei Temple into the foremost Tsu Huei temple with the largest number of devotees in Northern Taiwan.
The construction of Sung Shan Tsu Huei Temple began in 1968. Legend has it that Guo Yezi, who later became the first temple mistress, was instructed by the spirit of Yaochi Jinmu to have the temple built to mediate disputes among the faithful, to show them the right path in life, and to soothe both body and soul. In 1985, the statue of Yaochi Jinmu was inaugurated. The temple is located on the hillside of Fushou Mountain in Xinyi District, Taipei City. Behind the temple on the left is Sishou Mountain (“Sishou” literally means four beasts; the mountain has formations resembling a tiger, a leopard, a lion and an elephant) and on the right, Zhinan Mountain. From the temple, the picturesque scenery of Datun Mountain and Qixing Mountain, and the Danshui and Keelung Rivers can be seen on the other side of the city. Taipei 101 is in full view at a distance, making the temple a choice spot for viewing the New Year’s Eve fireworks display. Every year, during the Lantern Festival, Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day), Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrations and activities are organized at the temple to pay respects to gods and ancestors. All the “blessed children” and religious devotees are called to bring their families to attend reunions at the temple, and the crowds number in tens of thousands on such occasions.
The container is a small canister. Only a log-paper in it. Please bring a pen for this cache