Department of Cultural Affairs

Taipei City Government has long been committed to preserving, passing down, and promoting intangible cultural heritage. Since 2008, we have carried out formal reviews for the designation and registration of intangible cultural heritage, and as of August 2026, 26 items of intangible cultural heritage and one traditional cultural heritage preservation technique have been officially registered. This helps ensure that traditional crafts, techniques, and folk beliefs deeply rooted in local life continue to be seen and passed on. 

To showcase the rich diversity of Taipei’s intangible cultural heritage, we are currently presenting Those Who Lead the Way: Taipei’s Intangible Cultural Heritage and Preservation Techniques Certification Ceremony and Special Exhibition (開路的人—— 臺北市無形文化資產與保存技術授證典禮暨特展). This program highlights the invaluable work of cultural practitioners who have devoted years to the preservation, passing down, and promotion of these traditions.

The certification ceremony and special exhibition focus on two forms of intangible cultural heritage: the “Taiwanese Lion Dance,” a traditional performing art, and “The Angkong Procession of Taipei,” a folk religious tradition, as well as the traditional cultural heritage preservation technique of “Qilian Quarrying.” 

The Taiwanese Lion Dance originated from the Southern Fujian-style green lion and brings together lion-head craft, lion dancing, martial arts, and drumming. Master Wen-ting Hung has been officially recognized as bearer and preserver of the dance. He currently serves as director of the Beitou Shih Tou Wang Troupe (北投獅頭旺劇團), while his father, Lai-wang Hung, is also a recognized bearer and preserver of Taipei’s traditional craft of lion-head making. 

Wen-ting learned lion-head making and lion dancing from his father from an early age. He also trained in a range of martial arts, including Taizu Fist (太祖拳), Hung Gar (洪拳), Choy Li Fut (蔡李佛), and White Crane Boxing (鶴拳), later incorporating the movements and physical techniques of Southern-style martial arts into lion dance performances. 

In 2006, Wen-ting and his father founded the Taiwanese Lion Shih Tou Wang Folk Arts Development Association. They systematized and documented techniques that had traditionally been passed down orally and through practical instruction, and have continued to promote education and performances both in Taiwan and abroad. Through their work, they are helping a new generation discover the craftsmanship and physical techniques behind the traditional open-mouthed lion of northern Taiwan.

The “Angkong Procession of Taipei” traces its origins back to the Shuangzhong (Two Loyal Martyrs) Faith brought to Taiwan by immigrants from Anxi. The tradition developed along two main lineages. The first began during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor in the Qing dynasty, when members of the Kao, Chang, and Lin families crossed the Taiwan Strait and settled first in Xiaopingding in Tamsui and Beitou. They later migrated along the Tamsui River system to areas including Liuzhangli, Jingmei, Muzha, and Wanlong, where they worshipped the deities Angkong and his consort and their incense burner. 

During the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor, the three families drew lots to divide the statues and incense burner among themselves, with each setting up their own ancestral temple. As the tea industry developed in Muzha and Maokong, a series of rituals gradually emerged, including AngKong Patrolling Paddy Field (巡田園), the rotating yingxiang guotou (ceremonial transfer of the deity and incense) (迎香過頭), and village processions (庄頭遶境). These rituals were performed to ward off pests and disease, pray for good harvests, and seek peace and safety for the community. 

The second lineage originated with the Chen family, who brought Angkong to Taiwan from Zhongshun Temple (忠順廟) in Meizhuang Village, Huqiu Township, Anxi County, Fujian (安溪虎邱美庄). The family eventually settled in the Zhangjiau area of Muzha. As stories spread of Angkong’s ability to drive away locusts, worship of the deity gradually evolved from a family tradition into a community practice through a process known as “luogong” (the transition of a family deity into a community patron deity), before developing into a form of local public worship.

Today, Ji-ying Temple in Jingmei, Ji-ying Temple in Muzha, and Ji-ying Temple in Wanlong carry on the clan traditions passed down from the three-family lineage, while Muzha Zhongshun Temple continues the Chen family’s tradition of worship. Together, the four temples form the core of Taipei’s Shuangzhong (Two Loyal Martyrs) Belief. 

In May 2022, Muzha Zhongshun Temple was the first to propose the tradition for designation as a form of intangible cultural heritage in the folk custom category. The other three temples were subsequently included, and the four temples now jointly preserve the Angkong Procession of Taipei, continuing traditional rituals such as village processions, the rotating yingxiang guotou (ceremonial transfer of the deity and incense), and AngKong Patrolling Paddy Field.

“Qilian Quarrying” preserves the traditional techniques of extracting, shaping, and finishing stone, with master craftsman Yen-shan Hsieh serving as its bearer and preserver. This tradition documents the evolution of Beitou’s local industries and the history of labor in the area. 

Born in Qilian, Beitou, Yen-shan Hsieh comes from a family with three generations of stoneworkers. As a teenager, he started going to the quarry with his father, and around the age of 25 he returned to Beitou to take over the family business. 

From the 1970s onward, the traditional stone industry declined as quarrying was restricted and reinforced concrete became widespread. Hsieh adapted his skills to work on projects including garden planters and stonework for interior design. After retiring, he continued working with local history and cultural groups, schools, and communities on stone reuse, traditional stoneworking workshops, and stone sculpture. Through these efforts, the hands-on knowledge and working memories accumulated by generations of stoneworkers continue to be passed on and preserved.

The certification ceremony was held on August 28 in the second-floor theater at The Red House. A Special Exhibition on Taipei’s Intangible Cultural Heritage and Preservation Techniques will be on view from August 29 through September 27 in Exhibition Rooms 147, 149, 151, 153, and 155 at the Bopiliao Historical Block. 

During the exhibition, a series of programs will also be offered, including lion-head painting and procession experiences, Qilian stoneworking workshops, guided tours of temples associated with the Angkong faith, and special lectures. 

Visitors are invited to take part in hands-on activities, workshops, and guided tours to discover how these traditions took root through the histories of migration, local industries, and community development, and how they continue to move forward through the dedication and practice of generations of “those who lead the way.”