The Lantern Festival organized by Wende Temple in Baishakeng, Huatan Township, Changhua County during the Lantern Festival dates back over a century in the Qing Dynasty. Apart from a brief hiatus during the Japanese Occupation Period, the festival has never been interrupted, setting a record of being held over 180 years in a row without stoppage. In 2008, Changhua County Cultural Affairs Bureau declared the event an intangible heritage of Changhua County. The Baishakeng Lantern Festival is not only endowed with profound history, culture, and heritage, it is also the collective memory and pride of local citizens. According to historic records, Tseng Wei-Chen from Huatab Township, Changhua, became the first Hanlin scholar in Taiwan, and the Emperor entrusted him with an important position. Due to his importance, the Emperor denied his request to return to his hometown, therefore the Emperor eventually offered his parents official positions, and lanterns were hung during the Lantern Festival. The tradition was passed down the generations and evolved into today’s lantern festival.
[2018 Baishakeng Lantern Festival]
　　Wende Temple in Huatan Township is one of the rare large-scale Earth God Temples in Taiwan. The most significant characteristic is that the enshrining of the Earth God in the main hall. The deity’s head is wearing a black gauze cap, which is extremely rare in Taiwan. It is also the only Earth God to be appointed an official rank. It is believed that praying to the Earth God with official rank brings blessings to one’s work, business, or academic studies.
Besides the incessant stream of worshippers who come to the temple, the lantern parade and community’s joint performance is also held during the Lantern Festival each year as part of the area’s cultural heritage. The lantern festival is still held annually without interruption, making it the most longstanding folk festival in Taiwan. By combining the temple, residents from Huatan Township and arts and culture enthusiasts, it is hoped that traditional events such as lantern riddles, folk array, cultural relic exhibition and lantern art, the public will be able to understand the culture. This in turn makes the “Huatan Baishakang Lantern Festival” one of the most important folk lantern events in central Taiwan besides Pingxi and Yanshui.