Temple Courtyard Festival: Performance Troupes Competition & City God Night Parade in Southern Taichung

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Network, reported by Chen Guanxin

The City God Temple in southern Taichung has a history of over a hundred years. Around the birthday of the City God on the 15th day of the sixth lunar month each year, worshippers from all over gather at the temple. In addition to holding ceremonies and various performance troupe competitions, an event unique to the Taichung area—the “City God Night Patrol” folk festival—will be held tomorrow (the 21st). On the afternoon of the event at 18:00, performances such as the Golden Lion Troupe and the Official Generals Troupe will kick off at the temple courtyard, along with theatrical acts. Xu Zhenrong, leader of the Jiutian Folk Arts Troupe, will serve as the theater commentator. At 19:00 in the evening, the City God’s palanquin will set off on its patrol around the Zhongxiao Night Market area, with street performances at designated spots, ensuring the continuation of Taichung’s unique folk culture.

This year’s “Taichung South District City God Night Patrol” will take place tomorrow (the 21st). The event will begin at 18:00 at the temple courtyard, featuring the inaugural “City God Birthday Night Patrol Departure Theater,” golden lion troupe, northern-style music performances, ritual purification of the palanquin by Taoist priests, drumming before the palanquin, and the Officials Generals Troupe among other temple courtyard performances. Xu Zhenrong, leader of the Jiutian Folk Arts Troupe, will also provide commentary to help the public better understand the traditional culture and modern meanings behind these performance troupes.

At 19:00 in the evening, the City God’s palanquin will set off on its patrol around the Zhongxiao Night Market area, passing through Hezuo Street, Zhongxiao Road, Taizhong Road, and Guoguang Road along the way. Various performance troupes and community cultural groups will accompany the procession, with two designated performances taking place at the intersections of Minyi Street and Zhengyi Street. Residents of nearby neighborhoods including Chenghuang, Guoguang, and Changrong near the City God Temple will also join in the event, taking on roles such as soldiers and ceremonial guards.

City God worship is one of the important traditional beliefs among the people. The City God enshrined in the temple is revered for being just and upright, rewarding good and punishing evil. With a history of over a hundred years, the City God Temple in southern Taichung holds a “City God Night Patrol” that is a unique folk festival in the Greater Taichung area. It is said that areas visited during the City God Night Patrol can dispel disasters, avoid misfortune, and bring good luck.

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