Hsinchu City God Temple

Why visit

Every Chinese city once had a City God, a guardian who protects the town and judges the souls of the dead. Hsinchu’s temple was founded in 1748, when the city was still the walled town of Zhuqian, and its City God is the highest-ranking in Taiwan. People come from across the island to pray here, and the temple is busy from early morning until late at night.

What to see

• The roof: step back to see the ridges crowded with dragons, phoenixes and figures in bright cut-porcelain.
• The main hall: the City God sits at the back, behind clouds of incense, with officials and attendants on either side.
• The generals: look for the tall General Xie and the short General Fan, the City God’s two guards, who also appear as giant puppets in processions.
• The abacus: like many City God temples, Hsinchu’s has a large abacus, a reminder that the god adds up every good and bad deed.
• The rear halls: shrines to the City God’s wife and other deities, quieter than the front.

The snack stalls

The temple forecourt and the lanes around it are a covered food market, and for many visitors this is the real reason to come. Try a bowl of Hsinchu rice noodles, gongwan pork meatball soup, runbing spring rolls or a plate of duck. Most stalls open from late morning into the evening. See our guide to what to eat in Hsinchu.

The City God’s procession

Around the middle of the seventh lunar month, usually in August or September, the City God is carried through the streets of the old city to inspect his territory, with drums, firecrackers and the giant generals. It is one of the liveliest temple events in northern Taiwan.

Tips

• Dress modestly, keep your voice down and do not step on the raised thresholds of the doors.
• Photography is usually fine, but do not photograph people praying up close.
• Bring cash for the snack stalls. Few of them take cards.
• Combine it with the East Gate and the moat in our one-day Hsinchu itinerary.