Interesting. Good they’re at least thinking of doing something. It doesn’t take a PM2.5 detector though to tell when and why the temples are polluting the air, while the “green”/“eco-friendly” certification BS is just good news for the company that issues said certificates. And this idea in particular:
would just lower hygiene standards if implemented, and achieve nothing tangible for the environment. There are some other ideas in the article but it mostly looks like a PR exercise to me, although I hope I’m wrong.
Not Taoyuan, but here’s another temple development:
The device’s purpose is to remind temple officials and worshipers of
the level of pollution, allowing them to make adjustments accordingly,
Day said, adding that possible solutions include not using incense, or
giving only one stick of incense to each group of visitors as a “token
tribute.”
But what will the ghosts and gods say?
The deities will not care if we do not burn incense, as long as we are sincere, Lin said.
However, another worshiper, surnamed Kuo (郭), said that while temples could burn less incense, an incense wand is required to convey the wishes of mortals to deities.
Someone needs to tell the other side’s representative office to stop sending mixed messages!
The concentration of PM2.5 particulates remained high even after the reduction in the number of incense burners, especially on the first and the 15th day of each lunar month, and Huang said the temple considered removing all the incense burners at one point, but it aborted the plan after many worshipers implored temple authorities to keep at least one incense burner on the premises.
Meanwhile in Tainan:
The Tainan City Government’s Bureau of Civil Affairs is promoting bread and milk sticks emulating ghost money and incense typically burned at temples to improve local temple culture.
The innovations were developed by draftees who opted for work terms in place of their compulsory military service under a new government initiative.
If it keeps them off drugs, great!
The bakery said it uses powdered purple yam, raspberry and pumpkin to print images on the bread that can be used in temple rituals the same way ghost money is offered.
Yeah, how are the tourists supposed to get to the attractions if they can’t waddle off their busses, or are those busses ok? Would love to know the contribution of BBQ charcoal to the polution levels here, I’m sure its immense.
Dunno if it counts, but we have similar regulations in the ol country as the car exhaust damages the historic buildings and monuments’ marble. It is washed off, but still does not help. Makes things look grey and yucky.
Ah, someday we will do without fossil fuel and maybe breathe clean air.
Some mortals are upset about the government’s efforts to encourage reduction of burning.
A poster calling for religious groups to bring the statues of their gods to Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei on Sunday to protest against the government’s plan to reduce the burning of incense and joss paper is pictured yesterday. The demonstration is organized by Wude Temple in Yunlin County’s Beigang Township.