Xingtian Temple

One of the most famous temples in modern Taipei, dedicated to Guangong (關聖帝君), the deified Chinese general Guan Yu. Although its rites are broadly Daoist, the temple departs from convention: its deities wear no gold medallions, there are no censers, no joss paper furnaces, and no donation box. In August 2014 the temple controversially issued a no-incense order (禁香令) that many other temples went on to follow. The temple is perhaps best known for shoujing (收驚), spirit-calming rite performed by its volunteer attendants (效勞生).

The temple grew out of the eponymous Xingtian Hall (行天堂), established in 1943 in Dadaocheng by the disciple Kongzhenzi (空真子). Keelung coal mining baron Huang Cong (黃欉, 1911–1970), known by the religious name Xuankong (玄空), took up the faith and in 1945 founded a branch hall at the Baiji and Haishan coal mines in Sanxia after Guangong was credited with ending a malaria outbreak there. Huang went on to build three almost identical temples: the Beitou hall, the Sanxia Xingxiu Temple, and this main hall, completed here on former swampland in 1968.