Yimin Ye (Righteous People Lord)

In 1786, the Lin Shuangwen Rebellion erupted in Changhua. Hakka communities in the Hsinchu-Taoyuan region formed volunteer militias to defend their homeland, fighting dozens of bloody battles. After peace was restored, over 200 fallen warriors were buried together in Fangliao (modern-day Xinpu, Hsinchu County), and villagers built a temple beside the tomb. Emperor Qianlong honored their loyalty with the characters 'Bao Zhong' (Praise Loyalty), giving the temple its full name 'Baozhong Ting Yimin Temple.' Subsequent fallen volunteers from other incidents were also enshrined there, making it the spiritual symbol of Taiwanese Hakka identity. Remarkably, the faith centers on a tomb rather than deity statues — a unique feature in Taiwan's temple culture. The Yimin Tomb behind the temple remains the sacred core, where elaborate ceremonies are held during the annual festival.

Yimin Ye worship is strikingly different from typical deity worship. The most remarkable feature is the absence of a deity statue — worship centers on the "Yimin Tomb" (mass grave), where devotees offer incense before the burial site. The primary offerings are the Three Sacrificial Animals, with pork being paramount, reflecting the Hakka tradition of offering the most generous sacrifices to honor ancestral heroes. The "Divine Pig Competition" (Sai Shen Zhu) is iconic — devotees raise enormous pigs as sacrificial offerings, with some reaching over 1,000 catties (600 kg). Another unique tradition is "Feng Fan" (offering rice), where rotating village communities bring daily meals to the temple for the Yimin Ye, as if serving revered family elders — a practice found nowhere else in Taiwanese temple culture.

The "Yimin Festival" on the 20th of the 7th lunar month is the grandest annual Hakka celebration in Taiwan. The 15 village alliances in the Taoyuan-Hsinchu region take turns hosting, with each alliance serving once in a 15-year cycle. The multi-day celebration includes: the "Feng Fan Procession" (villagers carrying meals from all directions to the temple on foot), the "Divine Pig Competition" (showcasing prize pigs that can weigh over half a ton), "Water Lantern Release" (floating lanterns on rivers to guide wandering spirits), and nighttime "Pole-carrying Processions." Designated a National Important Folk Custom in 2008, the Yimin Festival offers the most authentic window into Taiwanese Hakka culture and values.