During the Lunar New Year, many people visit temples to pray and make donations.
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Tiangong Temple in Chunghua, a popular destination for worshippers during the Lunar New Year holiday, attracted numerous donations. On Friday morning, more than ten staff members began the arduous task of counting, their hands working tirelessly. The sheer volume of donations required large water buckets to contain them.
Originally equipped with four fixed donation boxes, the temple management had to deploy several additional mobile acrylic boxes. This decision was made in anticipation of a holiday surge in donations, as Changhua City Office Temple Affairs Director Chen Hsi-ming (陳錫明) predicted a 50% increase in worshippers compared to last year.
Due to the significant increase in visitors compared to last year, the nine donation boxes were overflowing with cash and coins. It is estimated that, after the final tally at the end of the holidays, the total amount of incense money collected this year will exceed the NT$2.67 million (US$85 thousand) recorded in 2023.
The temple management, along with officials from the city government and local community leaders, will carefully count and record the donations. The funds will then be entrusted to a bank for safekeeping in the temple's public treasury, ensuring transparent and accountable management of the assets.