Taipei Xia Hai City God Temple — Attraction in Taipei

The temple has been transformed itself from Taoist Pacifier Temple of the past, especially 19th and 20th centuries, to "Marriage Relations" Seeker's Temple. Thus, temple has more young female worshipers nowadays than the senior to pray for their relations, especially for the eternal love and romance. For reasons unknown, there are more female Japanese and Hong Kong Chinese worshipers nowadays than domestic Taiwanese worshippers, especially in weekdays. For many young single Japanese female visitors, they come to the Temple mainly for praying for the relationships and romance, especially for finding their new love.

The stated practice for praying for finding the love one is to (1) worship and pray for finding new love and (2) find, take and have a bite of the cookies or candies which were placed at the Temple's worship table by people or worshippers who found new love at the Temple and returned their wishes fullfilled with cookies or candy. Worshippers should not confuse and take candy or cookie of any unopened box. If there's No "open and available" cookie or candy, the belief is that time is not right or mature for finding the love one or romance that day.

Taipei City Hall tries to promote the temple as part of tour point for great Di-Hua Street Commercial-cultural district, which includes traditional Chinese herb medicine and groceries sales, fabrics stores, and other traditional cultural events. However, street lighting and store scenic at night from nearby subway or bus station to the temple and nearby stores area is relatively dark, although low crime rates for the area.

For temple itself, clergies and volunteers do provide worship procedure assistance, free of charge, and can command simple English and Japanese language communications. The temple provides free warm tea to visitors.

The Temple and Di-hua Street is a perfect place for foreign travellers for half-day visit, and, in Di-hua Street, there are restaurants, coffee shops and vendors serving Taiwanese flavor food and traditional Taiwanese and Chinese herbs and groceries. Di-hua Street also has various cultural exhibitions, including old red brick housings.

In July 2021, because of Covid-19 pandemics and related Taiwan government regulations do not allow worshipers to enter worship hall, thus, the Temple only allows worshippers to worship outside Temple's worship hall, and worshippers have to worship or pray at the front court yard.

On September 17, 2021, worshippers are allowed to worship inside the Temple after taking temperature and completing QR Code Registration for...

A fellow traveler brought me and another wanderer here. He said that this temple is known for people who pray for love and companionship. I already have someone near and dear to me so I prayed for something else that was related to family.

You can donate money for incense at the front of the temple. Or, you can enter at the door to the left while under the awning to donate money to the attendant and you'll get spirit money (joss paper) and incense. Light your incense, and as we do in eastern cultures; enter the temple at the left-most door and make your way to the right, or, clockwise--praying at each deity you wish. When you're done inside the temple, put your joss paper in the red bags to be burnt as an offering later. And, set your incense in the giant bronze censer in front of the temple while closing up your prayer.

I don't know if I really believe in this stuff but it was still a very beautiful and fulfilling process to get my hopes and wishes out into...

Visiting the Taipei Xia Hai City God Temple (台北大同霞海城隍廟) was a fascinating dive into Taiwanese culture and spirituality. Nestled in the bustling Dadaocheng area, this small yet vibrant temple is a place of deep significance, particularly for those seeking blessings in love, health, and business.

The temple is renowned for its City God (Cheng Huang Ye) and the immensely popular Old Man Under the Moon (Yue Lao), the deity of love and marriage. It’s common to see visitors earnestly praying for guidance in their relationships, tying red strings as symbols of romantic blessings. The temple staff are incredibly welcoming, offering clear instructions on the prayer rituals and providing red strings for those who wish to seek Yue...