A Consumers’ Foundation survey on how famous temples are working to reduce air pollution by limiting the use of incense for worship, suggested two of the 10 most popular temples did not reduce their number of incense pots and several temples sold uncertified “eco-friendly incense.”
As of December 2014, there were 12,106 registered temples nationwide and 1,237 in the Greater Taipei area.
The common mixed-use zoning of residential and commercial areas in Taipei means that air pollution from temples burning incense can directly affect the health of nearby residents, the foundation said.
Taipei’s Xingtian Temple (行天宮) enforced a policy banning incense burning and food offerings in August 2014, and several temples followed its eco-friendly policy by reducing incense pots or the number of incense sticks burned in each pot.
The foundation yesterday said its survey of 64 temples in northern Taiwan showed several famous temples in Taipei reduced incense pot numbers and the number of incense sticks from three per pot to one per pot, including Longshan Temple (龍山寺), Baoan Temple (保安宮) in Dalongdong (大龍峒) and Tianhou Temple (天后宮) in Ximending (西門町).
However, among the nation’s top 10 most popular temples, as voted by netizens, Zihnan Temple (紫南宮) in Nantou County and Lugang Tianhou Temple (天后宮) in Changhua County did not take such actions, the survey showed.
Yuandao Kuanyin Temple (緣道觀音廟) in New Taipei City’s Sanjhih Township (三芝) was found to be selling bundles of 10 incense sticks for the relatively high cost of NT$1,000, it said.
Foundation chairman Alan Lu (陸雲) said nine of the temples surveyed sell or give for free “eco-friendly incense” to worshipers, but only one of the “eco-friendly incense” products (used at Longshan Temple) met the government’s Chinese National Standards 15047, for levels of formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and heavy metal substances.
Lu said long-term exposure to smoke and VOCs, especially benzene, produced by burning incense can adversely affect the eyes, skin, respiratory system and central nervous system.
The foundation urged the Environment Protection Administration to set standards for incense products and product examination standards, and advised worshipers to avoid using incense containing artificial additives, as well as reduce the amount of incense used.
Lu said that despite having banned incense burning, Xingtian Temple was still voted the most popular temple in the nation, so worshipers should keep in mind that being sincere and faithful is more important than incense when worshiping.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by