Once there was a princess who fell in love with a cowherd. She was no ordinary woman as she was the daughter of the Emperor of Heaven. Her father strongly disagrees with their love that they were forced to separate ways. The lovebirds were placed in two different stars in the sky that they could no longer hold each other's hand. The two became sad, but fate has other plans for our the couple. A magical force forms a bridge between their stars allowing them to see each other again. This only happens once a year every seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar.
This is the origin of the Chinese Valentine's Day. A classic story that romanticizes the imagination of the Taiwanese every July or August when the “Day of Hearts” arrives. Just like in our legend, lovers meet and celebrate their love during the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. Or to make it simple, this is the “second” Valentine's Day in Taiwan.
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| Looking for love in Taipei? |
But two Valentine's Day in one year would be useless if you don't have someone to be called as your sweetheart. Am I right? So the luomujie blog gives you some tips and tricks for finding that special someone and what to do after you have found him or her. Haha!
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| Taipei Xia Hai City God temple in Dadaocheng |
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| Locals praying inside the temple |
The Xiahai Temple in Dadaocheng is the top place to go to in dealing with matters of love. Do you want to get married but your loved one doesn't want yet to settle? Are you afraid that your husband is going to cheat on you? Or still single at your age of 30s? Don't worry because I know a person where we can ask for help.
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| The statue of Yuexialaoren standing in the middle of the first row |
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| Another statue of our love guru inside the main hall of the temple |
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| Women in Taiwan often pray to the wife of yuexialaoren to prevent their husbands from cheating on them. |
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| Instructions in Chinese on how to pay a visit in Xiahai Temple |
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| Someone left a box of chocolates in the temple as an offering. |
After praying and asking questions on the gods, worshippers go to the incense holder outside the temple and pass a piece of string or coin three times in a clockwise direction. The items are then kept as good luck charms.
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| The heart-shaped box contains the shoe of the goddess and having one is believed to give good luck to a marriage. |
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| Locals buy the box and have it blessed in the temple |
He is one of the local deities in Taiwan and he is known locally as “yuexialaoren”. Referred to as the “Old Man under the Moon”, he is the one that can give answers to your prayers. Single men and women come here and do a ritual to have a boyfriend or girlfriend. Married women, on the other hand can give their prayers to the wife of yuexialaoren to prevent their husbands from cheating. How do these gods work? Let's say that they would appear in the dreams of your apple of the eye and just wait until their magic happens. It might take time before your prayer is answered but who knows? Your crush is just playing hard to get.
If you are already happy in love, then take your partner to Raohe Night Market. Go there not just to eat but to lock your hearts forever. A few meters from the food street is Chengmei Riverside Park. Just walk from the night market and you will see an entrance at the walls of the riverbank. It will lead you to an art installation which features the four big letters of the word “LOVE”.
The Keelung River plus the Rainbow Bridge above it adds more romance to the place as couples hang their padlocks on these giant letters as a sign that their hearts are tied forever. Fancy or not, the design of the lock is not important. What matters is that you are there for each other until your last breath.
Looking at each padlock is like reading the romantic story of every couple who had been here. A pink padlock with a white heart could be from teenagers enjoying their puppy love. Two heart-shaped padlocks next each other could be from a husband and wife. A married couple in Taipei who promised to love each other. They made a vow to be together for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. All sorts of locks can be find here especially the one with the heart-shaped handle. It has the words “Taipei” on the main body of the padlock. Hmmm… This kind of lock should be available in some souvenir shop in the city.
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| Forever in Taipei. Two hearts intertwined as one. |
Beyond the roses and chocolates that are given every February 14 and the rituals done to persuade the love gods of Taiwan during the Chinese Valentine’s Day, one should remember to love yourself first. How can you love another person if you cannot love your own self? I think this is the best tip that I can give to someone wishing to be in a relationship. Accept your flaws and imperfections. Say “I love myself” first before saying “I love you”. Time will come that you will hear the sweet words of “I love you too” from someone you truly care for. Happy Valentine’s Day!
THINGS TO DO IN TAIPEI
Sakura Series - Taiwan
2025 Forecast
Taipei 101 first flowers
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Taipei Flower Test Center
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Broadwood Park
Sunshine Sports Park kawazu sakura
Wuling Farm (武陵農場)
SYS kawazu sakura
Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
CKS Memorial Hall
Shibafen Yoshino Sakura
Hope River
Dongfang Temple
Tianyuan Palace
Neicou Stream Trail
Orange Garden Cafe
Yangming Park Visitor Information Center
Yangming Park Service Center Bus Stop
Huashan Road
Qianshan Park
Zhongshan Hall Entrance
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Flower Test Center Shōwa Sakura
Neihu Creek Trail
Shulin Land Office
Xióng Kōng Cherry Blossom Forest
Lung Yen Sakura Forest
Yangming Park cherry stream
Yangming Park fountain
CKS Memorial Hall Tairyō sakura
Wugu District Tianyi Road
CKS Memorial Hall yaesakura
Loving Farm
Yong Long Farm
Zhongbaling Sakura Road
Sun Link Sea
Tai'an Police Station
Cherry Hill Slope
Hsinchu Park
Taipei 101
Kāng Gào Kēng Creek
New Garden City
Broadwood Park
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Alishan Ranger Station
Alishan House
Alishan Police Station
Alishan Forest Railway
Alishan Station
Alishan Entrance
Alishan Gou Hotel
Alishan Magnolia Garden
Wulai tour
Wun Chang Elementary School
Bishanyan
Sanzhi Sansei Trail
Sakura Series - Taiwan
Nei Cuo Stream
Orange Garden Cafe
Sansei Trail
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Yangming Park Cherry Stream
Yangming Park Fountain
Flower Test Center
Broadwood Park
New Garden City
Yinghua Park
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Yangmingshan Visitor Center
Taipei 101
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Sakura Series - Japan
Kamonyama Park
Near the Nippon Maru Memorial Park
Shinko Park
Minato-mirai 21 area
Tokyo Tech Suzukakedai Campus
Onda River
Tenryuji
Byodoin
Kiyomizudera
Himuro shrine and Yakushi-ji Temple
Hōryū-ji Temple
Nara Park attractions
Tokyo Tech Ookayama Campus
Sumida River
Tsuruma Park
Gion
Maple Series
Taipei Aowanda
Shimen Dam
Alishan
Aowanda
Shanlinxi
Taoyuan Valley Garden
Fushoushan Farm
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| Yehliu to Jiufen? Yehliu to Shifen? Cheaper than yellow taxis |
The "Taipei kong mahal" (My beloved Taipei)
Always in my heart
MRT birdman
Valentine's Day
Tulips Festival
2018 Taipei Lantern Festival
City of Azaleas
Linji Huguo Temple
Nanjichang Night Market
Gudetama Chef restaurant
Dalongdong Bao'an Temple
Shilin hollyhocks
Ningxia Night Market
Ximending graffiti
Discovery Center of Taipei
Chunghwa Postal Museum
Double-Decker Bus
Shilin Cold Balls
Jingimoo
GomanMango
mud volcanic ice
Fire and Ice Dumpling
Opium Fen-Yuan
Ichiran Ramen
Liu Shandong Beef Noodles
hydrangea flowers
National Palace Museum
Other attractions in Taipei
Taipei on a budget
Japanese buildings
Dāoxiāomiàn beef noodles
Presidential Office Building
Yongkang St. and Elephant Mountain
CKS and SYS Hall
City tour
Beitou ramen
MRT Monopoly Game
Winter city tour
Zhicheng Park
Shilin Plum Blossom
Art museums
Shopping in Taipei
Summer desserts
Qingtiangang
Qixingshan hiking
2015 Calla lily
2016 Calla lily
Beitou tour
Beitou-Zhuzihu tour
NTU
Confucius Temple
2015 Dadaocheng Festival
Puppet Museum
Fantasy Ice World
2016 Bread Show
Strawberry picking
2015 Rose Garden
Modern Toilet
Shilin Night Market
NASA Exhibit
Raohe Night Market
Longshan Temple
2013 Taipei Zoo
Maokong Gondola
Lupin flowers
Taipei 101 day visit
Taipei 101 night visit
Tiger Mountain
Din Tai Fung
Taipei Story House
2014 Flower Show
Chrysanthemum Show
Miramar Ferris wheel
Miniatures Museum
Archery
1600 Pandas
Wulaoguo hot pot
Upside Down House
2016 101 Fireworks
New Taipei
Tamsui Pumpkin Tunnel
Shifen Waterfall
2017 Sand Sculpture
Dragon Caves
New Taipei tour
2016 Kite Festival
Pingxi Crags
Bitou Cape
2016 Sand Sculpture
2015 Christmasland
Juming - Jinshan
Houtong - Pingxi
Sandiaoling Waterfall
Jiufen foodtrip
Guanyinshan hike
Yehliu Ocean World
2014 Kite Festival
Pingxi Rail tour
Jinguashi tour
Vigor Kobo Pineapple
British Consulate
Yehliu Geopark
2014 Sand Sculpture
Paragliding
2014 Christmasland
2014 Pingxi Lantern
firefly watching
Yingge Ceramics Street
Jiufen tour
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