2024 TU DI GONG FOLK ARTS FESTIVAL─Taoyuan, Nice TU See You

About The Entry

Taoyuan City is home to Taiwan’s only cultural museum dedicated to promoting the tradition of the Earth God (Tu Di Gong). To deepen public understanding of Tu Di Gong culture, the Taoyuan City Culture Foundation organized the annual " Tu Di Gong Folk Art Festival" on the eve of the Earth God's birthday, celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Since its inception in 2008, the festival has reached its 17th year. In 2024, aiming to elevate local folk traditions to an international stage and break away from conventional perceptions of temple culture, the event boldly took the slogan, "Taoyuan, Nice TU See You." With this vibrant theme, the city warmly invited Earth Gods from across Taiwan and overseas to join believers and visitors in a grand celebration in Taoyuan.

-Assembly of Earth Gods: The 2024 festival achieved two breakthroughs. All 13 districts of Taoyuan City were represented, with Earth God statues from each area joining the festivities. This marked a significant departure from the traditional territoriality of Tu Di Gong, as deities stepped beyond their usual jurisdictions to gather and engage in cultural exchange. Additionally, Earth Gods from across Taiwan participated, ranging from Taipei City and New Taipei City in the north to Checheng Fu’an Temple in Pingtung County, the largest Earth God temple in Southeast Asia, in the south.

In total, 203 Earth Gods joined the street procession. The grand spectacle of "Hundreds of Deities Assembled, Thousands in the Procession, Tens of Thousands in Prayer" surpassed all previous events. With the highest number of recorded deity statues, the 2024 festival set a historic milestone in its 17-year history.

-United in Colorful Blessings: The event planning also introduced innovative elements. A comprehensive color and coding system utilized a palette of blue, yellow, purple, and orange to organize participating teams and deity statues into designated groups systematically. This integration of color aesthetics reflected the public’s diverse beliefs in Tu di Gong, presenting a modern and multifaceted image of the Earth God.