White Snake Temple
| White Snake Temple | |
|---|---|
白蛇廟 | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Chinese folk religion, Taoism |
| Deity | Bai Suzhen (白素貞) |
| Location | |
| Location | Fangliao, Pingtung County, Taiwan |
| Architecture | |
| Founder | Luo Shifu (羅士富) |
| Date established | 2002 |
The White Snake Temple (白蛇廟), officially known as Fangliao Ditang Temple (枋寮地龍殿), is a Chinese folk temple located in Fangliao Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan. The temple is notable for being primarily dedicated to Bai Suzhen (the White Snake Lady), a central figure from the famous Chinese folktale, the Legend of the White Snake. It is one of the few temples where a character from a folk legend is worshipped as a principal deity and is famous for housing live snakes, which are considered sacred by its devotees.[1][2]
History
The temple was founded by Luo Shifu (羅士富). According to the temple's history, Luo had a dream in the 1990s in which a woman identifying herself as Bai Suzhen appeared. She told him that she had been practicing asceticism for a long time and wished for him to build a temple in her honor, promising to aid local development and protect worshippers.[3][4]
Following the dream, Luo established a small shrine in his home. As belief in the deity grew and worshippers increased, he raised funds to construct the current temple in 2002. The temple's formal name, Ditang Temple (地龍殿), translates to "Hall of the Earth Dragon," a term that elevates the snake from a common animal to a powerful spiritual entity. It has become a major tourist attraction in Pingtung County.[3][5]
Deities
The principal deity of the temple is Bai Suzhen. While the legend has various interpretations, the temple venerates her as a benevolent and protective goddess. Worshippers pray to her for blessings related to wealth, career, relationships, and protection from misfortune.[6][7]
Accompanying Bai Suzhen is her sworn sister from the legend, Xiaoqing, the Green Snake. Statues and imagery of Xiaoqing are present, and she is revered as a loyal companion and a protector in her own right. The temple also houses other deities commonly found in Taiwanese folk religion temples, including Guanyin, Guan Yu, Yaotai Laomu, Sanqing Daozu, Tianshang Shengmu, Tudigong and Zhang Tianshi.[6]
Worship and rituals
The White Snake Temple is distinguished by its unique rituals involving live snakes. The temple keeps several large snakes—often albino or leucistic pythons—which are regarded as spiritual representatives or manifestations of Bai Suzhen. As of 2025, the temple houses approximately 300 white snakes.[8][9]
The most well-known ritual is called "Crossing Under the Snake" (鑽蛇底). In this practice, temple staff and handlers hold a large python aloft while devotees walk or crawl beneath it. This act is believed to bring great fortune, dispel misfortune, and invoke the blessings of the White Snake Lady. The snakes are treated with deep reverence and are considered sacred beings rather than pets.[10]
On the deity’s birthday celebration, held during the Dragon Boat Festival, the White Snake Temple hosts a series of activities. These include a scripture-chanting ceremony led by Taoist priests, a group worship service in honor of the goddess's birthday, egg-balancing rituals, and events intended to attract wealth and divine blessings. Devotees may also request symbolic items to take home, such as "dragon robes" (the shed skin of the temple's snakes) and "treasure basins", believed to bring good fortune.[11]
Worshippers commonly offer traditional items such as incense, flowers, and fruit. It is also customary to present offerings associated with beauty and femininity—such as cosmetics or perfume—in homage to the goddess's graceful human form in the legend. According to the temple, most worshippers seek blessings related to wealth. However, due to the romantic legend of Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian, many also visit to pray for love and marriage.[12]
References
- ^ "【農曆蛇年】擁抱蛇年還是蛇在擁抱你？". SBS. 28 January 2025.
- ^ "向白娘娘賀壽 楊梅白蛇廟端午祈福". Liberty Times (in Chinese).
- ^ a b "蛇年香火鼎盛 全台唯一"白蛇廟"求財也可求姻緣". Yahoo News (in Chinese). 1 February 2025.
- ^ "桃園白蛇廟 白蛇佑眾生 - 焦點 - 自由時報電子報". 自由時報電子報 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 13 February 2013.
- ^ "蛇年求財 桃市楊梅白蛇廟、南崁五福宮「使者公蛇洞」人氣旺". Liberty Times.
- ^ a b "蛇年想拜蛇求財 桃園有廟養300多條白蛇還聘專人照顧". 聯合報數位版 (in Chinese).
- ^ "古靈精怪台灣篇｜「台灣蔡思韵」姜宇夫肩纏白蛇 求愛情嚇到標汗". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 16 January 2024.
- ^ "「小白龍」掛身上保平安 白蛇廟有300條蛇". Yahoo News (in Chinese). 26 January 2025.
- ^ "阿比妹妹/桃園白蛇廟「披蛇求財」儀式超狂！他從菇農變身「國際物流業老闆」". 中天新聞網 (in Chinese). 1 June 2025.
- ^ "【神祕花園．台灣白娘子傳說】白蛇精得道成神 坐鎮桃園楊梅". The Liberty Times.
- ^ "桃園竟有這間「奇廟」！供奉3百條白蛇娘娘庇佑眾生 還讓不孕夫妻得子". Yahoo News (in Chinese). 1 June 2024.
- ^ "全台唯一白蛇廟 小龍年到香火盛│TVBS新聞網". TVBS (in Chinese (Taiwan)).