A few days ago, Andy Lu, who was born in Taiwan but migrated to the US, came back to Taiwan with his Hong Kong-born girlfriend Carmen Ng to tie the knot at the West Kuan Yu Temple in Yilan City. Lu’s father Lu Chin-tsung says “Catholics and Protestants can get married in churches, so we can get married in temples.” Andy says he was blown over by the arrangements his family made. A spokesperson for the West Kuan Yu Temple says the temple was consecrated 170 years ago, but this is the first time the deity Lord Kuan has been witness to a wedding there. It is a very joyous occasion, he adds.
30-year old Lu, who went to study in the US after finishing elementary school, now works for the international courier firm UPS. His 31-year-old bride Carmen Ng moved to the US with her family when she was little, and now works as a lawyer. The two have known each other for 18 years.
In order to prepare for the wedding, the groom’s father went to the temple early in the morning to do a practice run. He arranged for six pairs of men and women to present the couple with flowers and wish them good fortune. The participants went through the moves in a dress rehearsal, and details of the ceremony were worked out with Lu Chin-tsung as director. He was even busier and more conscientious than the couple themselves. The father of the groom said “Our old home was next to the West Kuan Yu Temple, and Lord Kuan is venerated as a deity by our whole family.” Lu hopes his son will cherish his marriage in the loyal and solemn spirit exemplified by Lord Kuan, never leaving or abandoning his family.
Using an unexpected turn of phrase, Lu Chin-tsung says he hopes his son and daughter-in-law will “make love” forever. People standing nearby are somewhat taken aback by this expression, but he goes on to explain that he means they should always love their parents, family members and other relatives. The wedding ceremony follows ancient traditions with offerings of incense, prayers for happiness and gifts of flowers. Under the watchful gaze of Lord Kuan, those present wish that the couple will live in conjugal bliss to a ripe old age, that they will soon be blessed with children, and that they will do well in their professions in America and enjoy good health.
Andy Lu says he is overjoyed by the arrangements his family has made. Everyone is happy and it was very lively. It was a great feeling, he says. When asked whether maybe it was too traditional and unromantic, he says, “It’s not unromantic. The main thing is to be together with our families.” Carmen, for her part, says “I am very happy and it has been great fun.” (LIBERTY TIMES, TRANSLATED BY JULIAN CLEGG)
移居美國的呂志謙，日前帶著香港女友吳嘉汶回台，在宜蘭市西關廟完成終身大事；呂父呂進聰說：「天主教、基督教可以在禮堂結婚，我們也可以在廟裡結婚。」呂志謙說，家人的安排讓他驚喜；西關廟表示，開廟一百七十年，關聖帝君首次替人證婚，很有喜氣。
三十歲的呂志謙國小畢業就到美國讀書，目前在國際快遞公司（UPS）服務；三十一歲新娘吳嘉汶從小與家人就移居美國，目前擔任律師，兩人認識十八年。
為了這場喜事，父親呂進聰一早就到宜蘭市西關廟預演，安排六對男女獻花祝福，走位彩排、儀式設計，呂進聰當起導演，忙得比新人更認真。
呂進聰說：「我們老家住在西關廟旁邊，關聖帝君是全家敬仰的神明。」他希望兒子能用關公的忠貞重義精神對待婚姻，對家人不離不棄。
呂進聰還語出驚人地說，希望兒子與媳婦永遠「作愛」，嚇到了旁邊的人。他說，是要永遠愛父母、愛家人、愛親友；結婚儀式循古禮上香祈福、獻花致意，在關聖帝君證婚下，祈求新人白頭偕老、早生貴子，在美國事業順利，身體健康。
呂志謙說，家人的安排讓他充滿驚喜，很開心也很熱鬧，感覺很棒；被問到會不會太傳統不夠浪漫，他說：「不會不浪漫，與家人在一起最重要。」新娘吳嘉汶說：「很開心也很好玩。」
（自由時報記者游明金）
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