Introduction
I first chanced upon the temple dedicated to the “God of the Homosexuals” on the Internet.
While searching for “queer friendly places” to go to in Taipei, this one temple kept repeatedly popping up in my search.
Therefore, in my recent trip to Taipei, I took the opportunity to pay a visit to Wei Ming Tang (威明堂), popularly known in English as the “Rabbit God Temple”, a Taoist temple named after the ordained Taoist priest, Lu Weiming, who set it up.
First Impressions
The Rabbit God Temple has the only shrine in the world dedicated to helping homosexuals, and they’re open daily except for Tuesdays.
Located in a non-descript industrial building not far from the Yongan Market MRT Station, Wei Ming Tang is located on the 8th floor, where you’d be greeted by friendly disciples of the temple upon exiting the elevator.
While taking photos of the entrance, I was welcomed in by a female disciple who asked me where I was from, and directed me to remove my shoes to place on a conveniently located shoe rack by the front doors before I entered the premises.
In a surprisingly spacious, modern, and air conditioned hall, one is given printed instructions in both English and the Traditional Chinese script.
Even without prior knowledge of Taoist practices and beliefs, I had the privilege of learning about the various altars and rituals in the temple.
A Traditional Taoist Temple with a Twist
For the uninitiated, Wei Ming Tang has four altars.
The first altar is for the 祖師, the main gods on the upper table, the second for 土地公 or the god of the land, the third for 虎爺將軍, or the Tiger God, and the final and fourth altar is for 兔兒神胡天保大爺 or the Rabbit God.
Legend has it that in the Qing Dynasty, a low ranking clerk named Hu Tianbao (胡天保) fell in love with a handsome imperial inspector. He followed him everywhere, even to the lavatories. When caught, and after confessing his love to him, the imperial inspector had Hu Tianbao sentenced to death by beating.
Explaining the cause of his death to 閻羅王 (Yanluowang), the lord of the underworld, appointed him the title of 兔兒神 (Tu’er Shen), the Rabbit God, the god of the homosexuals, to correct the unjust death, for his crime was but that of love.
This account was first told as a folk tale in the Fujian Province in the 17th century, and then later recorded in Qing Dynasty’s scholar’s 《子不語》a book roughly translated as “The Master’s Silence”.
In fact, the Rabbit God Temple was allegedly so popular that the authorities in 17th and 18th century worked hard to stamp it out.
How the Rabbit God Temple Came To Be
In the temple, the Rabbit God is referred to as 大爺 (Da Yeh), or Master, as a sign of respect, as the term “rabbit” was used as a slur in 17th and 18th century imperial China.
Lu explains in a Reuters article that he had “wanted to create a welcoming environment for a flock that had long been ostracized”, and that it was “a group with no one to look after them, and I wanted to fill that void.”
As an ordained Taoist priest, he wanted to help the masses, and set up Wei Ming Tang as a place to reach out to queer people suffering from oppression.
It was after the temple was set up, that he began to counsel queer people with relationship problems and also met others who were well versed in ancient Chinese literature.
Hearing the story of the Da Yeh, he decided to use the above-mentioned legend as a starting point, and according to temple disciple Dean that I interviewed, Lu “不確定有沒有這個神存在。但是大師是導師，有會請神的方式。不如就請請看，請到的確有下來。沒請到也沒關係。兔兒神大爺的確有下來，兔兒神有和他聊過，幫助LGBT的人群。大爺就開始展現他的神通，幫助大家。所以後來就越來越有名。“
The above translates roughly to, “Lu wasn’t sure if the Rabbit God existed, but as an ordained Taoist priest, there were methods he utilised to invite Da Yeh, and he thought he’d try, regardless of result. Indeed, after inviting, and conversing, the Rabbit God decided to help LGBT people and demonstrate his prowess at assisting this group of people. Gradually, word got out and they became well known internationally.”
Founded in 2007, this is the temple’s second location, and even though it was initially set up for gay men, queer women and other sexual minorities under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella all fall under his jurisdiction.
In the Taipei Times, Lu, the founder of the temple, explains that “the deity can be seen as an alternative to 月下老人 (popularly known as 月老), since Yue Lao’s main responsibilities are to matchmake men and women.” The priest says that Yue Lao might be confused by the homosexual’s prayers and match them to one of the opposite gender instead.
(Although it must be said that temples in Taiwan have become more inclusive in the past decade and a half, according to a recent article by Taipei Times that reported that 霞海城隍廟 (Taipei’s Xia Hai City God Temple) clarified that Yue Lao can also assist queer people in the romance department. )
A step-by-step guide on temple worship
Upon entering the temple, one is given a English-Chinese bilingual temple guide with clear instructions for the first timer.
After giving any amount for the offering, the visitor is then presented with paper money to write one’s wishes on.
After one is done writing, the visitor is then given incense and then directed to kneel and pray in front of the main altar with a script to recite silently to the main deities and then each of the other altars.
One stick of incense is placed in front of each of the four altars.
Offerings can be placed in front of the Rabbit God altar. Perfume, beauty products, cosmetics and (strictly) vegetarian food are allowed on the Rabbit God’s altar.
Obtaining a love talisman
In addition to offering your respects toward the individual gods, one can choose to throw 筊杯 (jiao bei), also known as moon blocks in English, a divinatory tool, to obtain a love talisman from the Rabbit God.
After being given the moon blocks, one circles them thrice above the incense sticks on the altar.
Then, after kneeling on the helpfully placed cushion, the visitor is to introduce themselves, and ask for 3 continuous 聖杯 (shen bei) within the 9 allowed throws.
A temple disciple will be around to assist at every step of the way.
If one is successful, they can choose from one of three talisman to bring home – a free one that is stamped, a mid-priced one, and a premium one handwritten and blessed by the temple priest.
Upon exiting the temple premises, one finds a conveniently located all-gender restroom right outside.
Conclusion
It’s rare to find a temple that is as inclusive as Wei Ming Tang that allows visitors of all sexual and gender orientations, to pray specifically about queer love. They even welcome ladies who are menstruating, the latter a specific restriction in many temples in various parts of Asia.
Dean, the temple disciple I spoke to, also commented that for many queer lovers who’d broken up, they had miraculously gotten back together after praying to the Rabbit God. An example he quoted was of his 師姐, a fellow female disciple.
This was extra special because the original lover had blocked her on every platform, met a new person, but after getting advice from Lu, and also praying fervently to Da Yeh, she had finally gotten back together with the original partner.
I would highly recommend visitors to Taipei to visit seeing that the temple’s disciples are very friendly and welcoming. There are three main ones who are usually at the temple helping visitors navigate temple etiquette and answering questions.
(An aside, but something I am most impressed by, is how the temple is embracing the future by accepting donations not only in cash in their donation box at their physical premises, but is also accepting donations in encrypted currencies.)
If you would like to find out more about the Rabbit God Temple (威明堂), you can check out their website or Instagram.
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