Zhushan Zinan Temple in Nantou County gave out over 100,000 blessed coins on the first day of the year. Temple Committee Chairman Chuang Chiu-an (莊秋安) says they began earlier than planned and extended the distribution period to accommodate the weather conditions.
Tens of thousands of devotees lined up for the event despite unfavorable weather, creating a queue that stretched 7 kilometers by 8 a.m. The temple had prepared 150,000 lucky coins and 5,000 lucky golden eggs for distribution. To accommodate more visitors, distribution began an hour early at 8 a.m., and the queue deadline was extended from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. so that more people could receive coins.
The temple continues its tradition of alternative distribution methods throughout the year, including offering lucky coins to blood donors through their regular collaboration with the Taiwan Blood Services Foundation. Chairman Chuang warned against purchasing counterfeit coins online and thanked the Fire Department for providing 500 parking spaces.
The first 5,000 people in line received golden eggs and had chances to win prizes, including gold rings, cash red envelopes, and special Snake Year coin sets. A man from New Taipei City who waited for two days won a gold ring, while a family from Taichung who waited for ten days received the first number and won a golden coin.