台北霞海城隍廟,霞海城隍廟,霞海月老,霞海城隍廟月下老人

　　The temple was built in 1856. Located in Da-Dao Cheng, a port city that at the time was one of the better-developed areas in Taiwan, the Xia-Hai City God temple ensures prosperity and peace through its blessings. Nowadays young people come to pray for a happy love life and good job. Every year the temple holds the annual “ City God Birthday Parade” on May 13th, a celebration that is classified as an intangible asset by Taipei City government.

　　In Chinese mythology, the City God originally protected the wall and moat of a city. Later, it became a deity who prays for rain, relieves from natural disasters, protects for the nation and administers to the spirits of the dead. The City God has an upright character and supervises both Hades and the world of the living by rewarding the innocent and punishing the wicked. The City God was selected from a mortal who in his own lifetime was a responsible and devoted official.

　　Xia-Hai City God was originally a blessed deity of Tong-An County, Quan-Zhou Fu in Fu-Jian province. Because the City God temple was located in Xia-Cheng, next to the Lin-Hai Gate, it was named the Xia-Hai City God after his migration to Taiwan.

　　In 1821, hundreds of villagers from Tong-An County transported the gilded image of Xia-Hai City God across the strait to Taiwan, where they placed the City God in Monga. However in 1853, the Tong-An settlers fled ethnic conflict and traveled to Da-Dao-Cheng with the Xia-Hai City God. Initially, the City God was placed in the Jin-Tong-Li Bakery. However, over time the City God religion became increasingly important to the settlers from Tong-An County. In 1856, General Su Fei-Ran, whose was garrisoned in An-Ping, Tainan Fu, donated a suitable piece of land for the erection of the temple. Mr. Chen Hao-Ran, the son of Chen Jin-Rong, the Jin-Tong-Li bakery owner, Mr. Lin You-Zao, the then leader of Tong An settlers and others actively raised funds to build a temple. Construction commenced in 1856 and was completed in March 1859. Taipei Xia-Hai City God temple has never expanded. The site on which the temple was erected is similar to the "cave of a hen.” much like a hen provides for her chicks, the City God protects its followers. People of all walks of life in Da-Dao-Cheng have benefited from the blessings of the Xia-Hai City God.

In 1853, a skirmish took place in Bo-Pi-Liao, Monga and the Tong-An people were forced to flee. They ended up transporting the City God to Da Dao Cheng. During transit, 38 able-bodied volunteers sacrificed themselves to protect the City God and its followers so that they might arrive at their destination safely. In recognition of their brave acts, they are memorialized in the temple and received the accolade as the Yi-Yong-Gong (the Brave Guards). Yi Yong Gong ( the Brave Guards) keep all wickedness away, even if the wicked are invisible spirits. They give their blessings to everyone.

│General Shi Lang │Taiwan Robin Hood - Liao Tian-ding│

　　General Shi Lang was born in 1621. He was the commander-in-chief of the army that destroyed the power of the Zheng family during the Qing Dynasty. He built the Xia Cheng city in 1662, and had many of his troops trained there. The City God was originally from Xia Cheng city before its migration to Taiwan. Therefore
General Shi Lang, the founder of the City God’s hometown, is commemorated in the temple.

　　Liao Tianding was born in central Taiwan in 1883. He was discontent that the Japanese colonial government treated the Taiwanese unfairly and decided to revolt against the regime. Da Dao Cheng, where the City God temple was located, was an affluent community. He robbed the wealthy to help the poor. Under the harsh rule of the Japanese, he became a ray of hope for all the native Taiwanese. Known as a heroic outlaw, it is said he used to hide money he stole under the altar in the City God temple and distribute it to the poor the next day.

　　Long ago, when the May 13th ritual parade first took place; many young ladies would leave their homes to view the joyful occasion. Because of the summer heat, however, some girls suffered from heat stroke and died. It is said that City God felt lonely and took some of the young girls so that he might have company. In order to ensure no more young women would be taken from their homes, temple followers felt the City God should be given a wife. On September 4th, 1894, a statue of the Wife of the City God was carved. Married women would pray to the Wife of the City God, wishing their husbands would pay more attention to matters at home. Today, married couples visit to buy a pair of Fortune Shoes so that they may receive the deity’s blessings and pray for a happy and close-knit family.

　　During the period of Japanese colonization, the Japanese wanted the Taiwanese to adopt Buddhism. So in July 26th, 27th, 28th of the lunar year, the Obon Festival ritual, a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed spirits of one's ancestors, was held in the temple. The festival was organized to placate the spirits and let the dead rest in peace. The Buddha and Bodhisattva bless visitors, wishing them wisdom, peaceful minds and good fortune.

5.Pray to Yi-Yong Gong. They will protect you from the wicked.

6.Pray to the Wife of the City God. The Wife of the City God blesses married couples so that they may have good relations and a happy family.

7.Pray to the Buddha. The Buddha blesses visitors so that they may have wisdom, peaceful minds and good fortune.

8.Place the three incense sticks in the incense burner and feel free to help yourself to a cup of the blessed tea at the temple square.

9.drink some blessed tea

10.Put your god money in the box. We will burn it for you.

　Lighting a fortune lamp is an excellent way to receive blessings from the temple Gods. If you would like to pray for a safe trip or a happy marriage, then light the Peace Lamp. If you wish to improve your performance at work or school, light the Bright Lamp. If you wish to make more money, the Wealthy Lamp will be the ideal choice. The Healthy Lamp is for bringing good health. Every lamp in the temple will be blessed by the City God.

　In the early days, women of Da Dao Cheng area often prayed to the Wife of the City God so that their husbands would come home right after work and not linger in bars and brothels. The women would express their gratitude by gifting a pair of embroidered shoes to the Wife of the City God. That is why today the Fortune Shoes are the lucky charm of the Wife of the City God. Having a pair of Fortune Shoes at home means the goddess will bless married couples so that they may have a harmonious relationship. Remember to keep the shoes in the closet or the bedside cupboard in the bedroom and make sure the tips of the shoes point away from the doorway. Move the Fortune Shoes 3 times clockwise above the incense burner outside the temple to activate them. In the old days, moving the shoes was meant to control the married men. However, nowadays most people use them simply to wish for a peaceful and blissful family life.

　Traditionally, the amulet from the Daoist temple has always been a good luck charm for temple goers. An amulet from the temple keeps you safe. It acts as an extension of the City God, keeping you safe at all times. Every amulet holder from the City God temple contains an amulet which will give you great peace of mind.

　Taipei Urban Development Department, Taiwan University Graduate Institute of Building & Planning and Taipei Xia Hai City God temple conducted the well-known “Chinese New Year Shopping Festival” in February 1996; that was when the temple started offering the Blessed tea to all visitors. Everyone could get a cup of blessed tea in 5 different booths within the activity area during the festival. The temple offered different tea daily. The ingredients of the blessed tea consisted of the red dates, Chinese wolfberries, roselle flowers, daisies, cassia seeds, prunes and the sacred sugar which had been offered to the Matchmaker. The blessed tea was so popular that our former President Mr. Chen Shui-Bian said: “It contained love, meaningfulness and sweetness” Our President Mr. Ma Ying-Jiu added the following: “The good flavor of the blessed tea is interwoven with both religion and Chinese herbs.” The City God temple provided more than 220,000 cups of blessed tea during that pre-New Year festivity. At the regular time, the temple provides the blessed tea which is made of red dates, Chinese wolfberries and sugar for daily visitors. These ingredients are good for the health. Red dates and Chinese wolfberries are provided by the worshipers who want to get married soon and the sugar is donated from the people who pray to the Matchmaker for the first time. Drinking the blessed tea is not only for receiving the blessings from the deities, but also promoting the Chinese herb industry in this neighborhood.

　Every December 24th in the lunar year, most deities are returning to the celestial realm to report to the emperor of Jade what they have seen in our world. The temple will have a ceremony to see the deities off. They will be away for more than a week. People can't ask for an oracle or drop the divining blocks until next January 4th in the lunar year.

　The Lantern Festival is the first full moon after the Lunar New Year, meaning the very beginning of the year. Spring is around the corner. It is a day when the sky deities give blessings to everyone. And they are fond of the boisterousness, so we have to light up the lanterns and walk around the neighborhood with lit lanterns to create the lively atmosphere. The City God temple distributes the well-designed paper lanterns to all the participants at the Lantern Festival party along with the riddles and lucky drawings.

　Lamp–lighting ritual usually happens in the beginning of the new lunar year and in May on City God's birthday. On January 10th in the lunar year the temple will organize a New Year Lamp lighting ritual citing ceremony praying for good luck and blessings in the coming year. The temple has a regular scripture reciting at 8.00 to 12.00 on the 10th, the 20th and the 29th every month in the lunar year to pray for the good fortune for every follower who has a lit lamp at the temple. On December 15th, the end-of- the- year ritual citing ceremony will express our gratitude to the deities for their efforts.

May 13th - City God's Birthday Celebration is the most spectacular event of the temple The temple will follow the traditional ways to hold the celebration:

　The Festival is for celebrating the birthday of the City God. Art performances are arranged to present to the public during the Festival month, such as Taiwanese operas, hand puppet shows and folk art performances. The temple organized the City God’s Guardian Generals martial arts performance in 2008, the Lion dance in 2009, a Drumming performance in 2010 and a splendid ritual performance for the centenary celebration of ROC in 2011. The temple’s festivals entitle different themes every year, and free outdoor movies play daily during the Festival season.

　The temple arranges a 5-day ritual for celebrating the Birthday of the City God. The ceremony starts on May 14th to 18th in the lunar year. The ritual keeps the followers safe and peaceful.

　Lunar July is also known as the Ghost month and is similar to Halloween in other countries, albeit with some differences. In the ghost month, people avoid going out at night. The temple performs the Obon reincarnation rite on July 26th, 27th and 28th to release the souls of the ancestors of all families and help all wandering spirits so that people's reincarnated feuds may rest in peace.

　September 4th of the lunar calendar is the wife of the City God's birthday. Lots of women will bring cup cakes, jewel accessories and cosmetics as the offerings to pray to the goddess. Those who have the fortune shoes will come and give thanks for the Wife of the City God's blessings. The fortune shoes must be turned clockwise 3 times above the incense burner to be activated so that the lucky charm will protect the whole family.