The worshipping at the Hongludi- Zhonghe Earth God Culture Festival- consist of four major types of activities: "The Lunar New Year Shopping Broadway," "the Lantern Fair," "Zhonghe Cherry Blossoms," and "Local Earth God Blessing Ceremony." All are cordially invited to take pictures highlighting the activities and to join the photo contest titled "The Beauty of Zhonghe." The joyous festive scenes and memories will thus be interpreted and captured. Sold on the shopping Broadway are dried goods such as exotic gourmets, interactive games, and creative products from all areas. The lunar New Year celebrations culminate in the lantern fair. The streets are decorated with the traditional lanterns signifying the advent of the New Year. Perhaps to all the most familiar and indispensable traditional custom is guessing at the riddles on the Lantern Festival. In addition to appreciating variously designed lanterns on the day of the Lantern Festival, you are highly recommended to participate in the afternoon activity in the Yuantong Temple Ecological Trail. Professional tour guides will take you to historical temples and natural scenic spots in Zhonghe City. On the eve of the festival, a praying rite will be held in the hope that with the blessings from the local Earth God, we will have in store in the coming year a prosperous Taipei County, a stable country, a secure society and a favorable climate.
Route 1: Section 3, Jhongshan Road→ Jingping Road→Yunghe Road→Old site of Brick Factory→Pili Temple→Old Brick Factory Chimney→Guangji Temple→Fangliao Street/Fangliao Night Market→arrive at the Fuhe Temple
Route 2: the Lins' Old Residence→Guoshihtou Wong Fishing Pond→Yuhuang Ritual Temple→Yuhuang Temple→Tzuyun Temple→Fanfang Old Fortress→ Yuantong Temple→(old) Guochiling→Fruit Fig Tree→(new) Guochiling→Letien Temple →The Yus' Old Residence →The Yus' House →Guanping Shrine→ arrive at the Old Ammunition Disposal Plant
Honludi
Situated on the hills at the back of Nanshih Chiao, Zhonghe City, Hongludi (literally meaning "the Dry Furnace Place"), also known as "Mountain Nanshih Chiao," consists of many temples for believers' pilgrimage. Legend has it that the location of the Nanshan Fu-De Temple commands a propitious "Feng Shui" (geomancy). The mountain has two outstanding spots on two sides that along with the temple itself form a tripod shaped like a drying furnace, which originates the name "Hongludi" (Dry Furnace Place).
At Hongludi there stands a 78-meter high local Earth God statue, which is the largest one in Taiwan and serves as the landmark of Zhonghe City. The Nanshan Fu-De Temple enshrines Fu-De God and is the most well-known local Earth God Temple in northern Taiwan. Inside the temple, the Earth God statue, seven feet and eight inches in height, has a silver ingot that is radiant due to long and frequent touch by worshippers. Legend has it that a worshiper's wish would come true if he or she prayed with a hand touching the silver ingot.
Shopping for the Lunar New Year
Shopping is the most prominent preparation for celebrating the lunar New Year. In addition to the major clean-up, everyone shops for the lunar New Year commodities ranging from ingredients for New Year dishes, candles, firecrackers, couplets, and snacks to necessities such as clothing and groceries. The shopping list is merely too long to be completely named. During this period, store owners, who try to make the most profits of the year, also provide a sundry best-quality goods. This is also known as the "New Year Fair."
Ancient in outlook but simple in design, the long-standing Yuantong Temple was constructed by Buddhist nun Miaoching during the Japanese Colonial Period, with a stone lion on one side and a stone elephant on the other of the temple gate. Going up the stairway, one sees on the stone walls the exquisite embossment of Maitreya Buddha who always greets visitors with a big smile. Further upward, in front of the temple there is a square surrounded by stones. Over the arch of the gateway stands the erect statue of Gotama Buddha (Shakyamuni) with fingers, at his birth, pointing at the heaven and the earth. Beneath the stone wall on the left of the garden there is a narrow stone cave that accommodates only a person. Climbing up the stairway leads one to the woods on top of the cliff. This narrow cave is widely known as "Yishientien" (the one-line sky) leading to the Tzuyun Temple, the route of which overlooks the spectacular sceneries of the Tamsui River.
Ideal for hikers and worshippers, the Yuantong Temple Trail goes through Yuantong Temple, Tzuyun Temple, Mountain Chingshuidajian, Niupu Lianfeng, the Outer Mountain Nanshihchiao (also known as Guochiling) and Letien Temple.
Accessible in Zhonghe City are various night-market eateries located, for instance, in Zhonghe Temple Night City, Fangliao Night Market, Zhonghe Chuang, Hwahsin Street, and Hsingnan Night Market that provide a wide variety of foods to satisfy all.
