Detailed Introduction
On a night in the tenth lunar month, the old lanes of Wanhua, Taipei light up with torches and lanterns. The Eight Generals and the Guan Jiang Shou clear the way at the front as the Qingshan King's palanquin moves slowly into the dark alleys — this is the "night patrol" (anfang), the most mysterious nighttime temple festival in northern Taiwan. The Wanhua Qingshan King Festival is hosted by Qingshan Temple and runs for three days each year, from the 20th to the 22nd of the tenth lunar month. It ranks among Taipei's "Three Great Temple Festivals" and is northern Taiwan's most representative nighttime religious celebration.
The Qingshan King
The Qingshan King's given name was Zhang Gun, a county magistrate of Hui'an in the Tang Dynasty. Because he loved his people as his own children and gave his life to protect the city, he was worshipped as a deity, and his faith crossed the sea to Taiwan with migrants from Hui'an, Quanzhou. He governs justice in the underworld, going on "night patrols" to inspect the community, examine good and evil, and drive off plague and malevolent forces — a role much like that of the City God.
Three Days of Ceremony
● 20th of the tenth lunar month (First Night Patrol): The Qingshan King's palanquin sets out on its night inspection, with the Eight Generals, the Guan Jiang Shou, and other troupes clearing the way as it threads through Wanhua's streets, investigating the injustices of the netherworld. The nighttime procession is solemn and mysterious, and with torches and lanterns blazing together across the streets, the atmosphere is electrifying.
● 21st (Second Night Patrol): A different route is walked for a second night to make sure the whole district is protected. Local neighborhood temples send out their own troupes to join in, making the spectacle even grander.
● 22nd (Main-Day Procession): On the Qingshan King's birthday proper, the event shifts to a grand daytime procession. Palanquins, elaborately decorated performance floats (yige), troupes of every kind, and columns of devotees fill the streets of Wanhua, firecrackers thundering, in an extraordinarily lively scene.
Distinctive Troupes
The most eye-catching part of the festival is troupe after troupe of traditional performers: the Bajiajiang (Eight Generals) with painted faces and ritual implements in hand, the Guan Jiang Shou that originated at Dizang Temple in Xinzhuang, and Songjiang battle arrays, awakening-lion teams, and more. Each troupe has its own footwork and its own particular disciplines — a living display of Taiwanese folk art. In recent years many photography enthusiasts make the trip just to capture the drama of the night procession.
A Modern Window
The Qingshan King Festival holds an irreplaceable place in the hearts of Wanhua locals, and it has gradually become a window through which international visitors come to know Taiwanese temple culture. Recent editions weave in local shopping-district events, cultural-creative markets, and guided tours, letting more people discover this precious cultural heritage.