Lungshan Temple Announces Candle Ban Starting in May|環保.安全考量 龍山寺5月起禁點蠟燭

Following the fire at the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral on Apr. 15 and out of environmental protection considerations, Taipei's 280-year-old Lungshan Temple announced that starting in May, it will ban all candles. The local borough chief said he supports this and a switch may be made to electronic candles in the future. Devotees praying at the temple also said they support the candle ban, which will reduce environmental pollution.


At Taipei's Lungshan Temple, which attracts over two million tourists a year, devotees light incense and candles to pray for safety. The temple recently announced a candle ban starting in May.

At this 280-year-old temple, they are doing something significant for environmental protection. Starting on May 1, they are implementing a candle ban.

In 2017, the temple removed all but one of its incense burners and switched to a gas burner that can be turned on and off for incense lighting. In the wake of the fire at Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral and to be more environmentally friendly, the temple may make the switch to electronic candles as well and devotees will be banned from bringing their own candles into the temple. Many devotees expressed support.

You have to have a sincere heart when praying. You just need sincerity. I approve of all this.

For me, there's no reason to don't use the candles. So, I think it's OK to forbid them.

Mailiao's Kong Fan Temple, a historical monument in Yunlin, banned candles long ago to prevent accidental fires. It has also made an effort to reduce incense and joss paper burning to improve air quality.



拜拜的民眾買香買蠟燭，來祈求平安，香火鼎盛的台北龍山寺，每年吸引兩百萬觀光人次。信眾到這裡，除了燒香拜拜，還會點蠟燭祈求平安。不過，龍山寺最近貼出公告，宣布五月起全面禁止點蠟燭。

台北市富民里長 邱添成表示：「藉這個280年建廟做一些比較有，對環保有意義的事情，所以他們就5月1號確定要把它(點蠟燭)取消。」

龍山寺在2017年，裁減香爐到只剩一座，點香也已改使用瓦斯，現在考量日前巴黎聖母院發生火災，也基於環保及安全因素，未來可能採電子蠟燭方式點燈，並且禁止民眾自行攜帶蠟燭，前來拜拜民眾大多支持這項措施。

民眾 古太太表示：「拜拜的時候啦！你要誠意啦！誠懇就好了，這些事情我都同意。」

外國遊客表示：「對我來說，沒有理由不支持禁用蠟燭的措施，我認為這可以預防火災。」

其實雲林麥寮的國定古蹟拱範宮，不點蠟燭已經行之多年，就是為了避免祝融之災，而且還推動一爐一香和金紙減量等措施，來維護空氣品質。