Zhushan Zinan Temple
About
'Borrowing' 600 NT dollars from the Earth God is the most famous thing about Zhushan Zinan Temple. In Zhushan Township, Nantou County, Zinan Temple is the most famous 'God of Wealth temple' in Taiwan, dedicated to the Earth God (Tudigong) and the God of Wealth. Worshippers borrow 600 dollars from the Earth God as 'Money Mother' to tuck into their wallets so that money will multiply endlessly, and if fortune truly comes the next year, they repay double. Every Lunar New Year the queues to borrow this 'fortune money' stretch for kilometers, becoming the largest tourist event in Nantou County. The temple also used its incense-offering funds to build a golden bamboo-shoot-shaped 'Golden Rooster Restroom,' crowned the most luxurious public toilet in Taiwan and, unexpectedly, a sight in its own right.
History
In 1745, during the Qianlong reign, the residents around Zhushan built a small shrine to worship the Earth God who watched over the community — the beginning of Zinan Temple. What truly made this little temple famous throughout Taiwan is the tradition of 'borrowing fortune money' — the Money Mother borrowed from the Earth God was said to be uncommonly effective, and word spread from one to ten and ten to a hundred, until worshippers came from all over Taiwan and the incense burned brighter year by year. The temple made wise use of its followers' donations, continually improving the surrounding environment and facilities — even building a public toilet gleaming with gold. And so a small shrine to the Earth God became the most important tourist and religious center in Zhushan, Nantou.
Zhushan Zinan Temple
Zhushan Township, Nantou County
Visitor Info
Address
No. 40, Dagong St., Zhushan Township, Nantou County
Region
Zhushan Township, Nantou County