Tainan’s Hugely Popular “Lantern Street” Rumored to Go Dark—350-Year-Old Puzhi Temple Seeks 10,000 Likes for Support

▲ Tainan Puzhi Temple Lantern Exhibition, Puzhi Temple Weiling King Chi Fu Qian Sui of the Ancient City. (Photo/IG@kasimyangProvided)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The 350-Year-Old Temple: Taiwan’s Earliest Wang Ye Temple“Puzhi Temple Weiling King Chi Fu Qian Sui of the Ancient City”Its painted lantern exhibition was voted one of Taiwan’s Top 10 Must-See Lantern Festivals during the 2015 Lunar New Year. Now in its fifth year, the event features over a thousand hand-painted lanterns lighting up the night sky, making it a popular photo spot. However, it may soon go dark.

“Puzhi Temple Weiling King Chi Fu Qian Sui of the Ancient City / Taiwan’s Earliest Wang Ye Temple” wrote on Facebook, “After all the effort to produce exquisite New Year prints, we only charge a 30 NTD material cost, and people still say we should charge more,” and “This is already the fifth edition, and every time we operate at a loss. It’s really disheartening.” The post makes it clear that despite their dedication, they are struggling under financial pressure.

When contacted by reporters, temple staff revealed that over the past five years, the event has relied on donations and volunteer efforts from devotees—both manpower and funding have often been insufficient, leading to thoughts of discontinuing the event. In response, Tainan’s Civil Affairs Bureau stated they would contact the temple to understand the situation further, while Tainan’s Tourism Bureau said the temple could apply for subsidies, and after evaluating the needs, they could potentially allocate up to 20,000 NTD in support.

The temple is also asking for public support through likes—if they can get over 10,000 likes, there might be a chance to continue.“I think the only thing that can keep us going is everyone’s support. We hope you can all help by giving a like—each like is a form of strength. If we can surpass 10,000 likes, we’ll keep going next year. But if even our supporters don’t back us, then we’ll need real courage to keep the lights on.”

The post attracted hundreds of comments from netizens offering encouragement, saying things like “Keep it up, you’re doing great!” and “I came home for the holidays just to get one of these prints—I hope they keep doing this every year.” Others suggested, “Recruit volunteers, seek sponsorships, I believe there are many who are willing to work and contribute together.” As of 6 PM, the post had around 6,300 likes, not yet reaching 10,000.

▲ Tainan Puzhi Temple Lantern Exhibition. (Photo/Provided by Puzhi Temple Weiling King Chi Fu Qian Sui of the Ancient City / Taiwan’s Earliest Wang Ye Temple)

Puzhi Temple Lantern Exhibition
Fan Page
Address: No. 79, Puzhi Street, West Central District, Tainan City (Lantern entrance is on Section 3 of Guohua Street, next to Yongle Charcoal Grilled Pork Rice)
Lighting Hours: Weekdays 6 PM to 11 PM, weekends until midnight
Dates: January 22 to February 12