Life seemed to be carrying on normally around the fire, so I continued down the street still feeling confused that a bustling Wednesday morning was apparently an appropriate time to build a bonfire in the middle of the street. As I continued down the road I noticed barrel after barrel lining the streets, each contributing to the light scent of sulfur that blanketed the city that morning. A large majority of these barrels were left unattended as my students ranging in age from five to twelve scurried toward the elementary school to begin Wednesday's educational journey. My inner junior high teacher wanted to stand patrol beside the scalding hot barrels to ward off hormonal teenagers, unable to foresee the long term effects of their actions, and prevent this law suit waiting to happen! As I looked around, it was very evident that I was alone in my concerns... it was as if I was the only one that felt the heat radiating off the barrel and burning my ankles as I walked past. My curiosity was piqued. After a chat with my new found Taiwanese friends and a bit of research, I learned the following...
33% of the Taiwanese population follow a religion called Taoism (or Daoism). There are innumerable Tao temples scattered around the city. The temple pictured below is about a fifteen minute walk from my flat along the Love River that flows through Central Kaohsiung.
I found this completely fascinating. There are so many ancient religious customs still practiced today... there is evidence of this type of ritual dating back to 1000 BC! I think for many Americans these types of customs are so far outside of our realm that it feels slightly uncomfortable, which is compensated for by labeling the rituals as odd or crazy. No matter your religious views... Chritsian, Islam, Hinduism, Buddism, Sikhism, Atheism... there is one notion that I will stand by until the bitter end, being that there is something incredibly healthy about opening your eyes and mind to look at the way another lives. What you'll see is pretty amazing.
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