While walking around Lungshan Temple in Taipei, I saw a red tray. Inside were several small crescent-shaped objects. These objects are called poe. These objects are commonly used in Taiwan as tools for fortune-telling. In Taiwan, they are placed in temples, and worshippers use these poe to divine their fortune. It is similar to the omikuji sold at shrines and temples in Japan.
Poe fortune-telling is common in Taiwan, and it is not unusual to see people practicing it not only at Long-Shan Temple but also at other temples. People who grab two poe and throw them toward the ground and tell their fortune according to the state of the poe on the ground are a common sight at all temples in Taiwan, regardless of whether they are famous or not.
From what I have seen, Taiwanese are more religious than Japanese. Even if you visit a temple that is not a tourist attraction, you will never find no worshippers, and you will always see people praying. But when I see Taiwanese people who not only visit temples, but also like to pray to the gods, I get the feeling that they are more than just pious. They seem to want to know the result of their prayers as soon as they make them. Perhaps Taiwanese people are impatient and are dissatisfied if they do not know the result of their prayers immediately.
Nov 2019 STILL LIFE TAIWAN | |
HAND LUNGSHAN TEMPLE TAIPEI TEMPLE TRAY |
No
11269
Shooting Date
Jul 2019
Posted On
November 7, 2019
Modified On
October 9, 2023
Place
Taipei, Taiwan
Genre
Still Life Photography
Camera
SONY ALPHA 7R II
Lens
ZEISS BATIS 1.8/85