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Yin miao

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Xingde Temple in Taiping District, Taichung, dedicated to an unnamed Filipino migrant worker that drowned.[1]

In Taiwanese folk religion, yin miao (Chinese: 陰廟; pinyin: Yīnmiào; lit. 'dark temple') are temples dedicated to wandering and homeless spirits, as opposed to yang miao, which are dedicated to deities. According to local beliefs, ghosts without a permanent resting place (as in a grave) wandering in the human realm and may cause trouble for the living. Therefore, yin miao serve as such resting places for these spirits as a form of respect and to maintain peace.[2][3][4] Temples dedicated to deities associated with afterlife, like Cheng Huang Ye or Di Zang Wang, are not considered yin miao.[5]

Architecture and location

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A plaque inscribed with the names of those who died building Suhua Highway, located on the altar of Kailu Xianfengye Temple in Su'ao, Yilan County.

As opposed to yang miao, yin miao are typically much smaller and less decorated. Yin miao will often display the words Yǒuqíobìyìng (有求必應). There are usually no paifang or any menshen at the entrance, and there are usually no statues inside the hall at all. However, some do get reconstructed into larger temples with more elaborate decorations.[2][4]

Yin miao are often built near the sites of mass graves, battle sites, unmarked graves, and treacherous terrain where accidents happen.[3][4] For example, Keelung's Laodagong Temple is dedicated to those who died during conflicts between Quanzhou and Zhangzhou settlers.[6] Shezi Island in Taipei's Shilin District has a high concentration of yin miao for the corpses that float down the Tamsui River and get lodged there.[7]

Some yin miao are dedicated to deceased unmarried women. In Chinese culture, ancestor worship is only done to men and women that married into the family, and a family cannot worship a woman that never left that family. Therefore, yin miao are built outside for these women, which are often named Guniangmiao (姑娘廟).[8][9]

Worship

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According to Taiwanese beliefs, worship in a yin miao should be done deliberately and carefully. Therefore, children are often told to not worship in random temples.[2][4] Typically, only silver joss paper is burned (instead of gold) since the temple doesn't house a deity.[10]

Girl Temples

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Girl temples are yin miao dedicated to the spirits of unmarried women who have died early.[11]

The origins of these shrines can be traced back to the custom of ghost marriage, where the spirits of unmarried women are paired with a deceased man in order to have offspring and become ancestors. Another method of settling these spirits is through the creation of a girl shrine, which is similar to the official culture of placing men.[11]

Girl shrines in Taiwan are rare and were not recorded during the Qing dynasty. However, they have become more prevalent in recent times due to the patrilineal society, which does not allow unmarried women to be enshrined in ancestral halls. Famous examples of girl shrines in Taiwan include Sister Lintou, Wei Bian Girl Temple, Mrs. Chitou, Qiu Girl Temple, and Wufei Temple.[11] The patriarchal social concept of the Han people in the early days of Taiwan believed that girls who died before marriage would not be able to enjoy incense and become lonely ghosts. These girl temples are usually built in the place where the girl died or where her grave or corpse was found, and are usually relatively remote and less crowded.[12]

In the 1970s, many girl temples became holy places for gamblers.[12]

Notable yin miao

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ 王嘉域; 楊宗穎 (28 February 2020). "菲律賓大哥廟 外勞信徒求明牌" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). CTS Main Channel. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "有應公". National Religion Information Network (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Ministry of the Interior. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  3. ^ a b 陳弋 (18 January 2020). "大家樂年代風行一時的「陰廟」 背後隱藏無數先民血淚史！" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). SET Taiwan. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d 蔡佳妘 (14 August 2019). "為何長輩總說「路邊小廟別亂拜」？有應公、大眾爺是孤魂野鬼？揭台灣神祕陰廟信仰". The Storm Media (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  5. ^ "2012 屏東縣 潮州鎮 城隍觀光文化祭". Chaozhou County Government (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 14 June 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  6. ^ 林欣漢 (19 August 2020). "基隆老大公廟開龕門 「好兄弟」放暑假囉！" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Liberty Times. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  7. ^ 楊心慧 (21 July 2019). "社子島陰廟廟廟皆離奇！化身找戲班、入夢要金身..." (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Liberty Times. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  8. ^ "隱藏版神明／蘇姑娘廟 姑娘廟沒那麼可怕" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Now News. 22 December 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  9. ^ "鄉野奇談／姑娘廟拜的是「未婚去世女子」⋯3禁忌千萬別犯" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). MSN. SET Taiwan. 24 June 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  10. ^ 張嘉渝 (21 August 2018). "金紙銀紙怎麼分？燒紙錢時不能翻？普渡拜拜禁忌一定要知道！" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Liberty Times. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  11. ^ a b c 白順裕. "台灣的厲鬼信仰 —姑娘廟與冥婚" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 內壢社大. Archived from the original on 2014-09-27. Retrieved 2014-07-06.
  12. ^ a b 三立新聞網 (2019-04-21). "獨／長輩說路邊「姑娘廟」別亂拜？揭「陰廟」前世今生！ | 生活 | 三立新聞網 SETN.COM". www.setn.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 2023-01-22.
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