On a whim, we took the High Speed Rail to Tainan and spent the night. We visited Chihkan Tower. On the site is a statue of Kui-Xing, believed by some to be a servant deity of a “God of Literature” named Wen-Chang.
By the statue were many of what appeared to be student identity cards hanging near a sign that explained the motivation of those who worship (click to enlarge and read).
While we observed the surroundings, a young gentleman walked in and faced the statue. With his hands together and head prostrated, he muttered with intensity. He then gazed at the sculpture with a hint of desperate hope and left. Elsewhere on site, a shoal competed for food human visitors paid 10NT for to toss into the human-made pool.
Tags: chihkan tower, tainan



May 25, 2008 at 11:14 pm |
My first thought was: a god of literature, how civilized. Then I read the sign in the second photo and laughed… How very modern. And sad. Not even our deities are safe from test stress.
June 20, 2008 at 2:59 am |
Somehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation :) Anyway … nice blog to visit.
cheers, Adaptability