Borrow 600, repay 600,000? Five devotees at Zinan Temple generously repay gold; the Earth God stays humble and avoids expansion

Reported by reporter Li Anjun / Nantou

Nantou’s “Zinan Temple” has set a new record for gold repayments. Last year, a young man in his 30s borrowed 600 dollars, and a few months later, he returned to the temple with 674,000 dollars in cash — a “profit” of over a thousand times. Director Zhuang Qiuan said that in the past, it wasn’t uncommon for people to repay 300,000 or 400,000 dollars, but in the last two years, there have been several who repaid 600,000 dollars suddenly, with about five cases so far. The small Zinan Temple actually has substantial funds — so why not expand? “We asked. The Earth God is very humble and insists on not showing off (seeking attention), saying ‘small but beautiful’ is good enough.”

▲ Zinan Temple is well-known across Taiwan, but the Earth God stays humble and resists expansion. (Photo / from Zinan Temple official website)

Just as people have banks, even gods have banks too. As the Lunar New Year approaches, Zinan Temple in Zhushan, Nantou, is bustling with people coming to cast lots {J, borrow “prosperity money,” and invest. The place has been packed these past couple of days. In recent years, records for gold repayments have been repeatedly broken. In the last two years, five devotees who borrowed money for investment made profits and individually repaid over 600,000 dollars. Zhuang Qiuan said most of the repayments go toward benefiting the local community — tuition fees, nutritionally subsidized lunches, and after-school tutoring at two elementary schools and one junior high school in the township are all free. For high school students, just bringing a registration slip earns them 10,000 dollars in tuition assistance from the temple. Additionally, meal deliveries for elderly residents in four local districts are fully covered by Zinan Temple.

Zinan Temple in Zhushan has a history of over 300 years and rose to fame for the Earth God lending “prosperity money” to devotees. Those who wish to borrow must first cast lots {J. Getting a sacred {J on the first try allows borrowing 600 dollars, while getting it on the second try allows 500 dollars, and so on — all one needs to do is register with an ID card. What if you keep getting bad luck? Zhuang Qiuan laughs and says, “I once hosted a group of eight people, and one gentleman had to cast the lot nine times. He was in a panic, but I said a few words and got him laughing happily in no time.”

▲ Zinan Temple boasts what’s touted as a seven-star, bamboo-shoot-shaped toilet — and there’s even a waterfall inside. You’ll see once you go up. (Photo / from Zinan Temple official website)

Zhuang Qiuan asked what he did for a living, and the man replied, “Orthopedic surgeon.” “Ah, that makes sense. The Earth God is very kind. If your business is doing better and better, it means more people are getting injured, so he doesn’t want to lend to you,” he said. The doctor was very satisfied with this answer and kept saying, “That’s right, that’s right.” As for whether anyone has borrowed money and not repaid it, the temple staff joked, “Who would dare owe money to the gods!”

Interestingly, the main hall of Zinan Temple isn’t very large — only about 40 pyeong (approximately 130 square meters). Compared to other highly famous temples, it’s considered small but beautifully designed. However, the nearby free public parking lot is huge, able to accommodate up to 2,000 vehicles. And if you include private parking areas, there’s absolutely no parking problem no matter how many worshippers come. Haven’t they thought about expanding? Zhuang Qiuan laughed and said, “We asked. But the Earth God refuses. He prefers to stay low-key.”

“More than ten years ago, the Earth God, through a spirit-medium, indicated: instead of spending money on expansion, it’s better to use the money to do more good deeds,” Zhuang Qiuan said. The Earth God’s humility is a good thing. Just like men — don’t show off too much. If you show off too much, all kinds of unnecessary troubles come your way, and your wife definitely won’t be happy. “The Earth Goddess of Zinan Temple must feel very reassured, so she lets her husband roam freely and do good deeds.”