Taiwan’s unique culture of worship – Lungshan Temple’s Yue Lao

Wanhua’s Lungshan Temple is a hive of activity where joss sticks burn 365 days a year. One of the more famous deities at the temple is Yue Lao, also known as “old man under the moon.” According to legend, he unites predestined couples with a silken thread. As long as you can obtain three sacred combinations (yeses) with divination blocks, you can take away a red thread.   

The Internet is full of people sharing the effectiveness of worshipping Yue Lao. Such stories have spread like wildfire, attracting many people on pilgrimage to Lungshan Temple to take a peek at Yue Lao’s mysterious legend, which is a worship culture unique to Taiwan. Regardless of whether the Yue Lao legend is real or merely a kind of spiritual sustenance, as long as we come with a sincere heart without being over-superstitious, it's all good fun. 

以下為中文對照

位於萬華的龍山寺，一年365天，天天香火鼎盛，而其中最著名的便是月老神君，也就是俗稱的月下老人。相傳，紅線就是月老配姻緣所使用的工具，只要經過月老同意且擲得三次聖杯，就可以將紅線帶走。

網路上也充滿了許多網友分享拜月老的靈驗事蹟，一傳十，十傳百，吸引了更多人前來龍山寺朝聖，想一窺月老的神秘傳說，而這有趣的現象，也是台灣才有的拜拜文化。或許月老爺爺真如傳說中靈驗，也或許是一種心靈上的寄託，無論如何，不要過度迷信，心誠則靈。