Wugu Shennong Dadi (Divine Farmer Emperor)

Introduction

Wugu Shennong Dadi (Divine Farmer Emperor of the Five Grains) is an immensely important agricultural guardian deity for Hakka communities in Taiwan. As a people whose livelihood depended on farming, the Hakka held an especially deep and earnest devotion to Shennong. The legend of Shennong tasting hundreds of herbs and teaching humanity the art of agriculture is woven deeply into Hakka cultural identity. In Hakka towns across Miaoli, Hsinchu, and beyond, nearly every settlement has a temple or co-enshrined altar dedicated to Shennong — he is the spiritual heart of Hakka agrarian society.

Legend & Origin

Shennong is one of the Three Sovereigns of Chinese civilization. According to legend, he had a human body with the head of an ox and a transparent abdomen that allowed him to observe the effects of herbs as they passed through his body. He tasted hundreds of wild plants, identifying their medicinal properties and toxicity, thereby laying the foundations of traditional Chinese medicine. He also taught the people to farm — fashioning the lei and si (primitive plows), distinguishing the five grains (rice, millet, sorghum, wheat, and beans) — guiding humanity from a life of hunting and gathering into settled agriculture. The legend holds that Shennong ultimately sacrificed his own life after ingesting a fatally toxic herb called 'Heartbreak Grass,' completing his service to humankind at the ultimate cost. The Hakka people honor him as 'Wugu Xiandi' (First Emperor of the Five Grains), expressing their profound gratitude for his contributions in founding agricultural civilization and herbal medicine.

Worship Guide

The most important offerings to Shennong are the five grains themselves — rice, wheat, beans, sorghum, corn, and other staple crops — accompanied by fresh flowers and vegetarian fruits. A beloved Hakka custom is to visit the Shennong temple before the spring plowing to receive consecrated 'five grain seeds' to sow in one's own fields, symbolically carrying the deity's blessing into the soil. After the harvest, farmers return to the temple with newly harvested rice as an offering of gratitude. In some areas, an array of medicinal herbs is also displayed during worship, honoring Shennong's legendary dedication to tasting hundreds of herbs for the benefit of humanity.

Festivals

The 26th day of the 4th lunar month is the birthday of Shennong. Hakka communities hold grand 'Shennong Festivals' featuring processions, theatrical performances, and banquet feasts. Some Hakka villages still observe the charming custom of 'Tasting the New' — the first rice harvested each season is cooked and offered to Shennong before the entire family sits down to share the meal together, giving thanks to the Divine Farmer for the blessing of a plentiful harvest.

Famous Temples

⛩️ Miaoli Shitan Yimin Temple and Shennong Temple 🔗

Miaoli County

Shennong worship is deeply ingrained in the Hakka villages of Miaoli, where he is often co-enshrined alongside Yimin Ye. The Shennong Temple in the Shitan area is a place where local farmers unfailingly pay their respects before each spring planting season, praying for favorable weather and an abundant harvest.

⛩️ Hsinchu Beipu Wugu Temple 🔗

Hsinchu County

The Wugu Temple in Beipu stands as a testament to the history of Hakka pioneer settlement in the area. The temple preserves Qing Dynasty plaques and couplets, making it an invaluable cultural artifact for the study of Hakka immigration history.