Going Around Taiwan (West Coast)

the city of: Lugang (Day 6)

Lugang is the second oldest city in Taiwan- also close to Taizhong. It's famous for its handicrafts and has lots of Qing-era architecture. It's also home to the famous "breast-touching lane."

Lugang used to be a very important harbor, and then became overrun with warlords and crime. Now it's perfectly safe and a great place to go shopping and see some historical temples.

It was around lunch time when we came there from SanYi so we stopped by the Tian Hou temple market to get the famous "shrimp monkeys" and "oyster omlete."

Tian Hou temple is dedicated to Mazu, the ocean goddess. It has lots of bright colors and was very lively with the market and graduating students taking pictures there.

Money you can offer to the gods or ancestors

Look at how old this is!!!!

There is Mazu!
 

This is blessed rice you can take home and cook.

 

There was a secret god hiding under the table. It looks like a cat!

The god on the right has arms for eyes!

 

 

This is the god of romance. There is a belief that if you tie a red string around a girl and a guy they will become lovers.

Mo Lu Lane, aka "breast-touching lane" or "gentleman's lane" is named because it's so narrow. When walking through it, chests of passing pedestrians will touch. It's called "gentleman's lane" because a gentleman would wait for a lady to pass through the lane first. It was built narrow on purpose to help slow down the thieves and other criminals in the old times.

 

NOT a gentleman! :P JK! I told him to do this for the picture ;)

Longshan Temple was built during the Qing dynasty (~1600s) and it's really well preserved. It's special for many reasons: one is that it has four courtyards, whereas most temples have three or less. It looks a little drab when compared to Tian Hou temple, because of the color scheme.

 

 

 

Here's the guy with a head coming out of his chest again! (Remember Foguangshan?)