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A beach in Yilan has become the latest battleground between religion and environmental protection. Every year, a local temple in Toucheng fills up the coastline with thick smoke from burning piles upon piles of joss paper, right on the sand. They have been doing so every year for decades and don’t see anything wrong with it. But local business owners say it is very unpleasant, as it fills the area with smoke. Even though the temple has previously been fined for violating environmental protection laws, they say they won’t be stopping any time soon. That is, unless the gods agree to change location.

Thick smoke has engulfed the beach as a group of people burn reams upon reams of joss paper.

Business owner
Runs shop nearby
Customers have complained about the smoke, it drifts all the way here. Customers get smoked up, and even passers-by get ash on their faces. It deals a blow to business, because the entire shop smells like smoke.

Ms. Huang
Temple staff
Every year, we do the bonfires at the same spot. If the gods agree to the burning, we send notices to the fire department and the environmental authorities to tell them about the place and time of the burning.

But the bonfires are a pain for nearby business. Toucheng Xietian Temple, which has more than 200 years of history says that the tradition has been passed down for decades and has unclear origins. The beachside bonfires have been reported in the past, and the temple had to pay a fine of NT$1,200 last year for violating air pollution laws. Despite that, the temple says it will continue holding burning offerings at the beach in coming years anyway, unless the gods of the temple agree to change locations.

Ms. Huang
Temple staff
We follow the will of our deities. We go wherever they say. We’ll ask whether we should do it at the beach again. If the answer is yes, we’ll go ahead.

Hu Pi-hui
Yilan Environmental Protection Bureau
Their actions are in violation of Article 32 of the Air Pollution Control Act. We will issue a citation and fines of between NT$1,200 and NT$100,000.

Despite the risk of fines, the temple insists on continuing the seaside burning ritual. They say that even if they are fined every year, they still have to follow the will of the deities.

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#yilan #toucheng #beach #pollution #tradition #josspaper

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