Lukang, Taiwan

On November 28th, Dana (Shu Fen) and I went to visit Lukang. It was a magical adventure from beginning to end. I had a wonderful time there and wish we could have stayed longer. Being Taiwanese, and a delightful storyteller, Dana was able to tell me the tales and legends behind the gods in the temples and describe the way in which people come to worship in the temples and how they ask for guidance from the gods. At the Matsu temple, (Teinhou Kung -- Kung is the word for "temple"), there was even a separate god there for students, to help them with their studies. There, on the offering table, were stacks of exam papers students have given to the gods. Interesting. There were a few times I could have made frequent visits to a god like that.... and very likely, my own god heard humble pleas (desperate begging) from me during those old school days.
Even though the trip to Lukang was a short one, we took in as much as we could during those brief hours. Both of the temples I saw there were intriguing and very different from one another. The first one I entered was Lungshan Ssu (Dragon Mountain) temple. It is one of the oldest temples in Taiwan and houses the goddess Kuanyin. She is the goddess of mercy. The ceiling of this temple is really incredible. The ornate carvings are powerful.
Many of the shops along the streets of old Lukang are occupied by traditional craftspeople, making everything from incense to painted paper lanterns and temple furniture and furnishings. These craftspeople are quite skilled at what they do and use ancient tools as well as techniques handed down from prior generations. One of my purposes for going to Lukang was to purchase some glove puppets for Jimi. I was able to find some of these puppets in a shop that was fascinating for it's historical artifacts which included panels painted by Taiwanese artists years and years ago. In a little cabinet in the back were carved puppet heads from puppets long since retired from service. I doubt those were for sale, and if they had been, very likely I don't make enough money to own one of those. I am told that in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, their historical museum houses a variety of traditional and historically significant puppets and marionettes. I hope to make a visit there before my contract ends in early July.
On this page there is a photograph of a circular window. The story that goes along with this window is that a woman lived in the room behind the window. She was the adopted daughter of a wealthy merchant and she and the merchants son fell in love. The room and the window were made for her. Her lover had to go off on a long business trip away from Taiwan and before he left, he planted the tree beneath her window, asking her to watch as it grew and to know that the branches would remind her of his love for her. Apparently, he never returned, having found other interests to keep himself occupied. So much for sappy love stories. It is a nice window though and the tree grew strong and healthy despite human frailty.
Dana and I took a "tricycle" (rather like a rickshaw) for the last part of our trek through Lukang. The tricycle driver took us through the streets to a number of unusual or historical areas. One of my favorites was a street which had in early history, been the place for poets and literary circle to gather and spend hours of passionate discussion as well as consume copious amounts of alcohol. There was a walkway over the street in which the poets would linger. I long to know of their discussions and dreams.... I long to read their poetry for clues into life there in Lukang all those years ago. Perhaps not knowing is better. Maybe they were rigid, egotistical bards who catered to the wealthy and had only dreams of fame and fortune ---- poetry as rigid and manipulative as they may have been. And on that note, I have to admit something I saw on my way from Chunghua to Lukang.... something disturbing, or at least "bubble bursting." What I saw as we rode down a long road to Lukang was shop after shop after shop which crafted every sort of temple furnishing. This may puzzle those of you who have not cultivated the "dreamer/fantasy" attitude with which I am so familiar. But to me, a mystery was solved, and not a mystery I ever wanted to know. Here, on the road to Lukang, all those incredible temple treasures are mass produced, just waiting for the right amount of dollars and a truck big enough to haul away what will one day become an artifact. What was I thinking? Did I believe that Chinese artists sneaked into the temples at night and carved these treasures unobserved .... or maybe elves came in like in the Shoemaker and the Elves of long ago. It must be too close to Christmas and at the moment I am not positive I ever was able to tell my children that "Santa Claus does not exist" without a pang of guilt, knowing that the truth generally leads another step away from the garden of eden.