Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

On November 14, Mayor Ko Wen-je attended the Bangka Qinshan Temple Festival in Wanhua District. He joined the religious procession and took part in the “palanquin-ramming” event.

During his address, the mayor expressed his gratitude to all those who took time to participate in the important cultural event of Wanhua District. During the past years, the Qinshan Temple Festival was held on a reduced scale due to COVID. Thanks to the subsiding of the pandemic this year, the event is back in full force. 

In the interest of promoting cultural heritage, the city government joined force with Bangka Qinshan Temple procession in giving away Linan Chun Wang plantain fans and lucky bags to those attending the event. It invited the public to come and experience traditional folk culture while promoting this unique temple festivity of Wanhua District. 

The Bangka Qinshan Temple is a major religion center for the local community. Linan Chun Wang, the god worshipped at the temple, was “invited” by pious residents to help fight pestilence over a century ago. 

A series of related activities will usually take place between October 20 and 22 (lunar calendar) to celebrate the birthday of the temple’s patron deity. The event has become one of the three major temple festivals of Taipei. The Bangka Qinshan Temple Nighttime Tour is often considered the spotlight of Bangka’s religious processions.

This year’s festival is held between November 13 and 15. The event organizers set up a “Arts and Culture Showcase Red Altar” in Ximending, integrating the unique “red altar” culture with traditional performance groups from around the island to highlight the diversity of folk culture.