The old Bao’an temple in Taipei has recently been awarded UNESCO’s Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation. The temple was built in 1805 and recently underwent a 7 year restoration. To celebrate, this year Bao’an Temple will hold numerous folk cultural activities during the two month Baosheng Cultural Festival which started last week.
This weekend there will be firewalking and Inspection Tours & Parades. The inspection tours I’ve seen in Mucha and Taoyuan have been very colorful. Dozens of elaborately decorated folk and religious characters parade through the streets blessing and inspecting all they see.
If it’s anything like the Matsu festival last week you should make an effort to get out and see it. I’m really pissed I have to be away this weekend.
Great article on the temple:
www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/F … Temple.htm
For a schedule of events see:
paoan.org.tw/2004%20Baosheng … /index.htm
For a map and bus/MRT info see:
paoan.org.tw/2004%20Baosheng … x_info.htm