San-Sen Temple in Yuanlin Township

Address: No.20, Ln. 20, Sec. 1, Yuanda Rd., Yuanlin Township, Changhua County 510, Taiwan

TEL: 04-8341409

Gods worshiped (main): Guan Sheng Di Jun, Fu You Di Jun, Si Ming Chen Jun, Xuan Tian Shan Di, Wen Chang Di Jun

Gods worshiped (others): Guan Ping Tai Zi, Zhou Chang the General

Gods worshiped (also): Fu De Zheng Shen, Tai Shan Lao Jun, Tai Bai Jin Xing, Yao Chi Jin Mu, Ho Xian Gu, Dong Shuang Cheng Xian Gu, Chi Zu Da Xian

Date of Ceremony: the birthday of Xuan Tian Shan Di on March 3rd of the Lunar Year, the birthday of Guan Sheng Di Jun on June 24th of the Lunar Year, the date when Guan Si Inn Pu Sa became a nun on September 19th of the Lunar Year

Year built: 1935

Location（A）

Worship Ceremony

        The proper manners to enter the temple and worship Gods actually all begin when one entering the temple. There exists certain procedure and related details as to which God to worship first, what to serve to Gods, or the burning of the Golden Money. There are rules that one needs to know before one can concentrate and fully commit to the praying.

What attitudes should one has when entering the temple?

        When praying to Gods, one asks for peacefulness or confesses his or her sins. Therefore, we should feel devoted, humble, respectful, and repentant when entering the temple.

What should one wear to the temple? (What is the dress code?)

        One should wear something neat and clean. Over-exposed clothes such as low-cuts and miniskirts are not really proper.

How does one enter the temple?

        There is a rule about how to enter and exit the temple. If you were facing the temple, you need to enter the temple through the entrance on your right, and exit through the exit on the left. It has to do with the old saying “Left with a green dragon and Right with a white tiger”.

        For bigger temples, other than the left and right doors, there is the door in the middle. However, it is the door for Gods or the head of the country. Therefore, unless a ceremony is being held, a higher doorsill is placed to prevent people from using the center door. For smaller temples, there is only the center door. One needs to stay as left-sided or right-sided as possible when entering or exiting.

The Steps for Worshipping

        Normally, there is a Tian Gong Lu right outside the temple (some maybe inside the temple). Therefore, one enters the main hall, lights up the joss sticks, faces out and prays to the sky first. The sticks are then put into the Tian Gong Lu, which is what we called Bai Tian Gong. This must be done first before all the other worshipping of Gods. However, if one goes to a Tian Gong Temple, the above procedure can be omitted. The Gods sitting next to the main God are to be prayed to next, and then the other Gods in other halls if there were any.

        Usually the big temples have not only the first floor. Most people did not know but start at the first floor. However, the top floor is usually where Yu Huang Da Di is, and needed to be prayed to first.

Types of Worshipping