Ciyou Temple

About

Ciyou Temple (Chinese: 松山慈祐宮; pinyin: Sōngshān Cíyòu Gōng) is a prominent Taiwanese folk temple in Songshan District, Taipei, Taiwan. The temple was built in the 18th century and is dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu. It plays a key role in local religious and community life. Each year, on Mazu's birthday (the 23rd day of the 3rd lunar month), believers visit the temple to pray and celebrate. Ceremonial offerings and an elaborate procession are held around this time, with believers carrying the statue of Mazu in a ritualistic palanquin on a parade that also includes well-decorated floats and battle-array troupes.

Ciyou Temple also houses a pantheon of Taoist and folk deities associated with different aspects of life, such as safety, fertility, education and prosperity, including the City God and the Earth God. Raohe Street Night Market was located next to this temple as the temple has become an iconic landmark in the area.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.