Something Went Down at Longshan Temple

Something went down at Longshan Temple tonight.  It was crazy fun but mostly crazy and I still am trying to understand what I saw.

Here's how it started:

I was weaving my way through the Longshan night market after running an errand.  I was on my home, ready to rest my feet and drink tea when I heard the boom of fireworks overhead.  They were colorful and full.   I started to feel excited, starring into the sky like a child.  I was walking towards the fireworks.  There was a smile on my face.  Wait, what am I doing?  I'm going home.  I turned around, bought a meat stick for "dinner" and was on my way when the meat stick selling man started talking at me all excited and pointing down the street.   I understood "Birthday," "Take pictures" and "temple."

The first thing that emerges from the crowd is a black car with yellow and purple orchids on top.  Someone in the car lowers the window and starts handing out bread.  I sense the man next to me is friendly so I venture, "Weishenme (Why)?" but I can't really follow his response.   I assume this is an ancient costume, the people of the temple handing out bread to the people of the street on a special god day.  How nice.  The black car with flowers is sobering, like a funeral.  Next, there are towers of small red lights and a god in a chair resting on the shoulders of two men.   I am discrete with my camera and ask before taking pictures.   I have suddenly been swept into the middle of a parade and I am loving it.

Then there comes another layer of noise added to the already loud background of a night market.  This is the noise of banging drums, whining wind instruments and gongs.   The traditional music is intriguing.  I am grateful for the "video" option on my phone.  I shamelessly video away.  Behind the musicians, there is a stereo that rests on the truck bed of a radio station vehicle.   It is blasting messages like, "Are you ready for this?" and "Can you feel it?"  I think this a bit strange.  Kind of cheapening the religious aspect of the event.

Then gods come dancing behind it, wearing large sunglasses and giving me high fives.  I also find this a bit strange.  Maybe this isn't such a serious procession after all.  Maybe this is more like a Christmas parade in the states.  Everyone can be in it, radio stations, local music groups, churches, even pole dancers.  Yeah, pole dancers.  My jaw dropped when the next "float" came by with three VERY young girls in boy shorts pole dancing down the street.  Suddenly, my cautious respect for this "religious event" went out the window and I laughed out loud.  This was crazy!  It was on the same level as the Fallas parade in Spain, where fireworks and fire spray everywhere and you can't believe the city "thinks this is safe" but you're secretly glad because its making you laugh out loud. LOL. I see so many men starring at the pole dance float.  LOL.  Are they really letting the pole dance float into the temple? LOL.  "Can't touch this."  LOL.  "Everybody clap your hands."  LOL.  Why are they playing English pop music?  LOL.  Is that man holding the flag drunk? LOL.  Why is a moped trying to drive down the middle of the parade?  LOL.   There goes the pole dance float.  There goes a large portion of the crowd.  LOL. That god is REALLY tall and seems to be coming right at me!  LOL.  Someone's pushing me again.  LOL Crowd control.  LOL If an Elvis impersonator appeared on the temple roof singing Korean karaoke would it really be out of place?


Okay.  It was CRAZY.  It was FUN and I hope more parades come find me, bombard me and overwhelm me while in Twain.

 

Be Festive!