Thousands of religious devotees flocked to Qingshan Temple (青山宮) in Taipei’s Wanhua District (萬華) this week to join in the nightly patrols and parades celebrating the birthday of the deity Qingshanwang (青山王; Green Mountain King), which was yesterday.
Some of the most eye-catching personages in the annual Qingshanwang Festival are the bajiang (八家將), or Eight Generals.
The Eight Generals, along with an inlutongzi (引路童子, guide boy), serve as guards for Qingshanwang.
Photo: Yeh Kuan-yu, Taipei Times
Each year, eight people play the role of the Eight Generals — four green-faced “lock generals” and four red-faced “cangue generals” — and a child is dressed up as a “guide boy” — said to be transformed from a white crane — who carries a calabash that contains conquered evil spirits.
In adherence with strict traditions, participants adorn unique costumes and makeup and are required to walk in a specific way.
Eight Generals chief executive director Kao Yu-feng (高玉峰) said that there are 60 to 70 people who play the roles of the Eight Generals in the Qingshanwang parade.
All of the participants are non-professional performers who have other jobs, such as tour bus drivers, body shop owners and movers, Kao said, adding that they only meet for the three-day night patrol and parade period prior to Qingshanwang’s birthday.
However, not everyone can become a performer for the Eight Generals, Kao said.
He said most of the participants’ fathers or siblings are part of the Eight Generals team, and many of them had been a guide boy when they were younger.
Kao cited the case of a man who unexpectedly showed up at a meeting, saying that he had been directed to serve as one of the Eight Generals by Qingshanwang in a dream.
In such a case, the team seeks Qingshanwang’s permission, by throwing divine blocks, before a new recruit is accepted, Kao said.
If permission is granted, a new recruit’s morality, characteristics, and behavior are observed for three years before they are officially made a member, he said, adding that for the Qingshanwang Festival, members of the Eight Generals team have to observe asceticism and refrain from eating beef a week before festivities.
Eight Generals makeup artist Lin Tzu-hsien (林自賢) said that the face painting “strictly follows the traditions,” and a defect is purposely added to show that the participants are not immortals, but rather human beings with makeup of the Eight Generals.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
President William Lai (賴清德) should protect Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), and stop supporting domestic strife and discord, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrote on Facebook yesterday. US President Donald Trump and TSMC on Monday jointly announced that the company would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next few years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US. The TSMC plans have promoted concern in Taiwan that it would effectively lead to the chipmaking giant becoming Americanized. The Lai administration lacks tangible policies to address concerns that Taiwan might follow in Ukraine’s footsteps, Ma wrote. Instead, it seems to think it could
RSS