The annual Qingshan Temple festival will begin this year on Wednesday, November 20. The traditional three-day celebration, which takes place around the streets of Wanhua (formerly, Bangka) district, is one of Taipei’s most impressive religious and cultural events.
Activities will include night patrols of the neighborhood on Wednesday and Thursday to exorcise evil spirits and bring people good luck followed by a midday pilgrimage on Friday. The ritual will be accompanied by loud music, colorful art and other exciting performances.
Qingshan Wang, or the Venerable King of the Green Mountain, is a Taoist folk deity from Fujian, who served as a general in the Three Kingdoms period (221-280 AD) in life. In Taiwan, he is renowned for staving off pestilence and epidemics and is venerated for healing and protection.
Monga (Mengjia) Qingshan Temple is a popular religion temple that was first established around 1855. The interior and exterior of the temple are decorated with exquisite stonework, intricately carved wood, multicolored mosaic relief and statues of deities.