Temple Shop - Taiwan

Mostly you will see a lot of Spirit Money in the picture used for burning to ancestors or idols. This shop is located in Dajia, Taiwan, right outside of a temple.

Spirit Money?

This isn't your typical spirit money, you can actually buy objects that look like ipads, razors, sports things, to burn to your ancestors or gods. No, they aren't real they are just paper or cardboard objects. If you want to worship your idol to the fullest forget burning your $400 iPad when you can just burn something that looks like it for $3.

Idol's on the Drive

Sometimes the idols just get a little too dusty in those old creepy temples. The best way to fix this is to put that idol on the back of your car and drive until its looking spic and span again. In Taiwan as part of their worship to their gods they drive them around on tours through the city.

The City of Idols: Chia Yi, Taiwan (嘉義)

Walking through the town of Chia Yi (嘉義), the crowds began to gather and bang drums, carrying their idols on their shoulders with faces painted like monsters.

As if a bomb was dropped in the middle of town, the city fills with smoke and loud bangs. They lay out the firecrackers on the pavement to walk through them while going off, carrying their gods.

After all the excitement the streets and cars are covered in the ashes from the fireworks.

A bus used for carrying idols

Fire Prevention

Idol Parade

Early in the morning the past 2 days I have been woken up by the temple down the road parading their idols and shooting off fireworks. Wondering what all the noise was I looked out my balcony window almost having my face hit by the fireworks launching up from below (at least that's what it felt like).

Many mornings while here in Taiwan, I am awoken to the temples around the area playing strange music loudly and shooting off fireworks to worship their gods.