Taiwan temple provides divine inspiration for finding love

By Lin Yang Feb 12, 2012, 2:06 GMT

Taipei - Groups of young women walk clockwise around an incense burner at Taipei's Hsiahai City God Temple, holding red string above their heads.

Single women in Taipei are leaving nothing to chance, hoping that performing this ritual would boost their odds of finding a husband as Valentine's Day draws near.

Taiwan's people are deeply superstitious and often go to particular temples to wish for anything from getting good test scores to getting pregnant. Local residents believe the City God Temple, and a deity within it, relieve the yearning for love.

On a cold and rainy weekday morning, mothers stand next to their daughters in front of the altar to plead for future sons-in-laws. Friends approach the gods in solidarity to present their requests.

One of the worshippers was a 43-year-old woman with the surname Wang, who refused to give her full name because she is also in the spirituality business. She works as a tarot card reader, but on this morning, she was looking for her own divine inspiration.

'I've been trying to read my own future, but tarot cards only give a six-month outlook,' she said. 'I came to merge the fortunes of the East and West. This might boost my chances of finding a husband.'

Praying for a husband is a serious endeavour. For maximum effect, the temple recommends first-time worshippers spend 310 Taiwan dollars (10.50 US dollars) to buy an offering set that includes paper money to burn for the deities and ornaments, including a piece of red string, to place in their own purses for good luck.

Temple traffic picks up before Valentine's Day as hotels offer packages for couples and restaurants cook up fancy set menus. From New Year's Day to February 14, the temple estimated that it gets 250 paying customers daily.

During the ritual, worshippers make requests for their ideal partner to the Matchmaker, a Taoist deity who many believe brings happy relationships. Specificity is encouraged.

Wang came with a handwritten list.

'I want someone who is single, not gay, preferably 170 centimetres tall or taller,' she said. 'Ideally, he can sing and has artistic talent. He must be healthy, spiritual and likes meditation. Sometimes, he could be as playful as a child. Being kind is important. More importantly, he must be loyal to me and support me in any situation - someone to travel the world with, to sing to me if I'm sad.'

She rounded her perfect man off with 'a stable job, house, car and investments' as her requirements.

Wang's previous attempt at the temple four years ago - when all she wanted was someone who was 'compatible' - didn't work out, so she took advice to be more specific and wrote a longer list to show she was serious.

Temple officials said their Matchmaker helped 7,871 couples get married in 2011. Worshippers promise to send a box of engagement cookies, a type of traditional wedding announcement, if they find a husband. Staff members keep track of the number of boxes they receive.

Taiwan's government heavily promotes the temple. The island territory has one of the lowest birthrates in the world, and marriage and fertility have become national security issues.

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-pin showed up at the temple on Valentine's Day two years ago to encourage more people to go to pray. Taipei's Tourism Bureau calls it the 'good luck charm for love' in their published guides.

Hu Wei-Ting, a 24-year-old worshipper, said she believes Taiwan women are delaying marriage because of the search for a compatible partner, not just a provider.

'Women are getting more independent,' she said. 'Many would rather be single if they can't find their ideal match. They can live well without a husband.'

Hence, they make character requests for their ideal man. Hu asked for someone who is 'mature, strong, gentle, romantic, handsome, responsible and funny.'

The temple's executive director, Chen Wen-wen, said most of the people who come are women aged 28 to 35. Chen called this period 'the age of desperation' because the window of time to find someone, get married and have children narrows. Men tend to be more embarrassed, or too overly confident, to come, she said.

'Overall, women are the ones who tend to pray in Chinese culture,' she said. 'They are the ones who cook in the house and go to temples to pray for their family members and for peace.'

The City God Temple also provides services for women after they get married. Another deity, the city god's wife, sits in a room that is adjacent to the main hall. She takes requests 'to make sure every husband behaves himself.'