Wen Wu Dazhong Ye

The origins of Da Zhong Ye worship are intimately connected to Taiwan's **early historical traumas**.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, large numbers of Han Chinese migrants entered Taiwan, but tropical disease, plague, conflicts with indigenous peoples, pirate attacks, and natural disasters caused enormous mortality. Many migrants died with no one to claim their bodies. Local residents — driven by humanitarian concern and fear of unattended spirits causing trouble — began collectively burying the dead and building temples for veneration. This was the original Da Zhong temple.

The most representative legend concerns **Bangka Qingshan Temple** in Taipei. According to tradition, during the late-Qing Tongzhi era, Bangka was devastated by epidemics. A group of Hui'an migrants from Fujian invited "**Lingan Zunwang**" (the Qingshan King) to Taiwan to suppress the plague. The night after the Qingshan King's processional parade, the epidemic indeed receded. Local residents, grateful, integrated the Qingshan King temple with Da Zhong Ye worship — the King governs while the Da Zhong Ye lead the multitude of unattended spirits, together protecting Bangka.

A second branch comes from **Yimin worship** (義民信仰, "righteous-folk worship"). During the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty, several Taiwan-based rebellions (such as the Lin Shuangwen Uprising) caused many Hakka volunteers to die in defense of their communities. Their remains were collectively buried and a temple built — developing into the "**Yimin Ye**" cult. Yimin Ye and Da Zhong Ye overlap but with subtle differences: Yimin Ye emphasizes "spirits of those who died for the country or community," while Da Zhong Ye encompasses a broader "unattended spirit" concept.

A third branch comes from **frontier-settlement memory**. In places like Douliu (Yunlin) and Xingang (Chiayi), traditions describe early Han settlers and indigenous peoples falling in conflict, with countless dead on both sides. Later residents built Da Zhong temples to bring peace to all spirits and to seek regional safety.

Together these stories shape the unique character of Da Zhong Ye worship — it is not the legend of a single deity but a **materialization of Taiwan's collective historical memory**, reflecting the migrant society's attitude toward death, calamity, and reconciliation.

Da Zhong Ye worship has a distinctive ritual format that differs significantly from other deities:

**Offerings**:

- **Three Sacrifices, rice cakes, fruits, and wine** (meat is acceptable since Da Zhong Ye is not a Buddhist deity)

- **Sacrificial whole animals**: many families prepare a whole chicken or pork knuckles

- **"Water rice"** (水飯): white rice with water added — symbolizing "feeding the wandering spirits" — a unique offering specific to Da Zhong Ye worship

- **"Pudu Lord lamps"** (普渡公燈): paper lanterns symbolizing "guiding spirits to the offering site"

**Ritual types**:

- **Individual worship**: visitors come to the Da Zhong temple to pray, often for safety, deliverance from misfortune, or wealth

- **Collective Pudu**: during Ghost Month, every household and temple holds a "**Universal Salvation**" — Taiwan's largest-scale ritual event

- **"Snatching the Lonely"** (搶孤): a few temples hold this distinctive ritual (most famously at Toucheng, Yilan) — competitors climb a 12-meter platform coated with grease to seize offerings from the top, symbolizing "thanks from the lonely spirits"

**Taboos**:

- Avoid frivolous speech or laughter when worshipping Da Zhong Ye

- During Pudu, do not step on offerings, and avoid using the word "ghost" (鬼) — the polite term is "Good Brothers" (好兄弟)

- Photographing Pudu rituals should be cleared with temple staff

The Da Zhong Ye system reflects Taiwanese society's deep concern for the **dignity of the deceased** — making it one of the most humanistically rich folk religious traditions for visitors to study.

**Ghost Festival (Da Zhong Ye Pudu)**: lunar 7/15. The central festival of Da Zhong Ye worship — every Da Zhong temple and household holds **Universal Salvation** (中元普渡), broadly inviting "Good Brothers" to feast on offerings. The scale ranges from individual (a household altar at the front door) to township-level (large-scale temple ceremonies).

**Bangka Qingshan Temple Night Patrol**: held annually on lunar 10/20, 21, and 22, the "**Qingshan King Night Patrol Inspection**" (青山王暗訪夜巡) is one of Taipei's most distinctive folk events. The processional party patrols Bangka by night, with continuous fireworks and percussion. It has been designated as a National Important Folk Custom and draws large crowds each year.

**Yilan Toucheng Snatching the Lonely**: held annually at the end of lunar 7th in Toucheng, Yilan, this is Taiwan's most representative "Snatching the Lonely" ceremony. Banned during the Japanese colonial era and revived after WWII, it is now an internationally recognized folk event.

**Yunlin Douliu Da Zhong Temple "Mid-July Fire Walking"**: held on lunar 7/15, the temple hosts a fire-walking ceremony where devotees walk over coals — symbolizing the dispersal of impurity and welcoming peace.

The entire lunar 7th month, called "Ghost Month" in Taiwan, is the most active period for Da Zhong Ye worship. Temple ceremonies and household Pudu form a comprehensive folk system — a key field for studying traditional Taiwanese views on life, death, and community.