2026 Guide to Tainan’s Four Great Yue Lao Temples
Praying for love at Qixi, the right order to visit, and a half-day walk for matchmaking
PUBLISHED IN 2026 • BY JENNY
Tainan has more temples than any other city in Taiwan, and enshrines more deities too – it is a City of Gods in the fullest sense. Devotion to Yue Lao, the god who ties couples together, runs deep here, and four temples stand out above the rest: the Grand Matsu Temple, Daguanyin Temple with Xingji Temple, the Official God of War Temple, and Chongqing Temple. Worshippers call them the four great Yue Lao temples of old Tainan, and they are well known to believers across the country. Each is good at solving a different kind of romantic problem.
The story goes that lighting a single stick of incense builds a bridge between the human world and the heavens, opening a direct line to Yue Lao so that the hopes and worries of lovers can be placed in his hands.
Qixi, the Chinese Valentine’s Day, is almost here – a good moment to seek a match or to steady the relationship you already have. Whether you are praying for a partner, hoping to stop being single, or trying to move things towards marriage, these four are worth a special visit when you travel to Tainan, romance or no romance.
Before you set out, though, one thing is worth getting straight: each of the four has its own speciality. One is good at making introductions, one at cutting off unwanted attention, one at handling relationships that have gone wrong. A single person asking the reconciliation specialist for a true match, or someone already attached making wishes in front of the deity who severs bad connections – praying at the wrong temple isn’t ineffective, it is asking the wrong person.
Another common misunderstanding: Yue Lao is not only for single people. What he governs is yinyuan, the bond of marriage, and that includes the far longer stretch after a relationship has begun. Couples and married pairs are just as welcome. Only the temple you visit and the words you say are different.
Here is a Qixi temple guide: what each of the four specialises in and how to pray there, how single and attached visitors should each make their wishes, a half-day route you can genuinely walk, and one thing no other city has – because in Tainan, Qixi is not only a lovers’ day. May those who love each other find their way to one another.
🔍 Check first: which Yue Lao should you visit?
| Your situation | Which temple | Name of the deity | What you receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single, hoping to meet someone and stop being single soon | Daguanyin Temple | The wide-mouthed Yue Lao | Matchmaking |
| Seeking a good match, or wanting to warm a relationship and move towards marriage | Grand Matsu Temple | The Yue Lao of love powder | Love powder |
| Your partner attracts a lot of attention; you want to cut off unwanted involvement | Official God of War Temple | The Yue Lao with the staff | A staff |
| Repairing a relationship that has broken down; praying for reconciliation and harmony | Chongqing Temple | The Yue Lao of the vinegar jar | The vinegar jar |
| The relationship is steady; the two of you want to pray for it to last | Chongqing Temple, Grand Matsu Temple | Vinegar jar, love powder | — |
Can you visit Yue Lao if your relationship is already steady? Yes
This is one of the questions we are asked most around Qixi, and the answer is yes – traditionally that was always the case. Yue Lao governs the marital bond, and that bond is not only the moment two people are tied together; it also covers how well and how long the relationship lasts afterwards.
Three of the four temples suit people who already have a partner:
- Chongqing Temple: “harmony between lovers, affection between husband and wife” was always addressed to people already in a relationship. It is not only for settling arguments; it suits anyone wanting to smooth over everyday friction and resentment.
- Grand Matsu Temple: the Yue Lao of love powder draws good relations of every kind. If you have a partner, you can pray here for warmth and stability.
- Official God of War Temple: if a third party or unwanted attention is troubling your relationship, this is where to ask for help.
If you have a partner, say it differently
Folk wisdom holds that anyone already attached should be explicit when praying to Yue Lao. What you ask for is“may my relationship with so-and-so be steady, and may we marry soon”– not a vague plea for “a good match.” Asked vaguely, it may be taken to mean you would like someone new. We suggest giving your partner’s name as well, and making clear that what you want is for this relationship to settle.
Giving thanks: the most legitimate reason of all for those with a partner
Once a wish is granted you return to the temple to thank Yue Lao. This is called huanyuan, returning to give thanks. For married people or those in a steady relationship, coming back to give thanks is the most natural thing in the world within the tradition. Daguanyin Temple says you may bring wedding cakes, fresh flowers or fruit, or make an offering at the desk. The Grand Matsu Temple likewise suggests offering wedding cakes to thank Yue Lao once a match has come good.
How to pray to Yue Lao: offerings, the sequence, and what to avoid
The most common mistake is walking into a temple and heading straight for the Yue Lao hall. That is the equivalent of skipping the principal deity to go and find an attendant one; the order matters. Every one of these temples has an official notice board in front of its Yue Lao hall, so once you are there, follow the temple’s own latest instructions.
🎋 Prepare your offerings
Offerings need not be expensive; what counts is sincerity. Three kinds are common:
- Sweets and confectionery:standing for a sweet bond well tied. Candy, chocolate and pastries all work.
- Fresh flowers and fruit:symbolising blossom and fruit. Remember to bring an even number.
- Longan in the shell:“shedding the shell” sounds like “shedding single life” in Chinese. After praying you can peel and eat them on the spot and throw the shells into the furnace, signifying leaving single life behind.
📝 Setting out your conditions: the clearer the better, but no more than twelve
If you are single:describe the appearance, character and qualities of the partner you hope for. We suggest a limit of twelve points. Specific is good, but avoid reeling off a long list of unrealistic demands. Rather than “I hope to meet a good person,” name the few things about values, temperament and daily habits that genuinely matter to you.
If you already have a partner:give their name, and explain that you hope the relationship will be steady and lasting.
⚠️ Two things to avoid, which many people don’t know
- Don’t cover your face:dress neatly, but do not hide your face behind a hat or a mask. Yue Lao needs a clear look at you to make the introduction.
- Don’t bring an umbrella:in Chinese, “umbrella” sounds like “to scatter,” which makes it inauspicious in matters of love. If rain makes one unavoidable, bring a folding umbrella and keep it inside your bag rather than carrying it into the hall.
A closer guide to the four great Yue Lao temples of old Tainan
Daguanyin Temple with Xingji Temple | The wide-mouthed Yue Lao
Daguanyin Temple with Xingji Temple is a long-established old temple, known for housing Buddhist and Taoist worship in one place, and for the wide-mouthed Yue Lao, one of old Tainan’s four.
- What he handles:the finest matchmaker of the four, helping single visitors find a partner. Married couples can pray for a happy marriage, and couples facing obstacles on the way to marriage can ask for his help.
- About the statue:the deity’s notably large mouth stands for eloquence – for talking a good match into being.
Daguanyin Temple’s official sequence:
- Prepare five sticks of incense and three bundles of joss paper. The joss paper can be placed on Yue Lao’s shrine or on the offering table of Guanyin.
- Main hall route:begin at the incense burner in front of the temple gate (three sticks). Then worship in order: the two guardian generals, Heng and Ha; the principal deity Guanyin; on the dragon side (to your right) Yue Lao and nine of the eighteen arhats; on the tiger side (to your left) the Birth Goddess and the other nine arhats. When you have finished, place one stick in the main hall’s central burner.
- Rear hall route:in the rear hall, worship the Three Jewel Buddhas first, then Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, then King Miaozhuang and Jianzhai Bodhisattva. The last stick goes into the rear hall’s central burner.
- Making your wish and receiving the matchmaking pouch:return to Yue Lao’s shrine and give your name, address, lunar birth date and time, and your wish. Single visitors with no current partner may throw the moon blocks; a single affirmative answer means you may receive a matchmaking pouch containing love powder and red thread.
• Red thread:keep it in a pocket or a compartment of your wallet, deliberately leaving half of it showing. Tradition says that if the thread is lost of its own accord, Yue Lao has gone off to tie your match. • Love powder:apply it to your cheeks, behind your ears or on your neck for three days running. If any is left, you can add it to water and wash your face with it on the third day.
Official God of War Temple | The Yue Lao with the staff (Yue Lao Xingjun)
Tainan’s Official God of War Temple is the only martial temple in Taiwan to have been included in the official state rites, and is a national monument. The Yue Lao shrine is the fifth stop on the visiting route, known for its staff-bearing Yue Lao and its “listening Guanyin”.
- What he handles:For those seeking a true match. It is aimed mainly at single visitors without a partner, and at anyone in the middle of an unrequited affection who wants to take a step closer. Those with a partner can pray for a lifetime of mutual support.
- About the statue:He holds a staff. If your partner attracts a lot of attention, you can ask him to dispel the unwanted connection.
The temple’s official instructions for red thread and love powder:
- First give your details:tell Yue Lao Xingjun your name, your birth date and time, and your address (meaning where you sleep at night). Then describe the partner you hope to meet.
- If you are looking for someone to date:simply pray; there is no need to ask for the red thread.
- If you are looking for a marriage partner (a true match):throw the moon blocks, and a single affirmative answer means you may receive the red thread and love powder.
- Carry them with you:place the red thread and love powder inside a small red envelope, circle it clockwise three times around Yue Lao’s incense burner, then carry it with you or keep it in your bag or under your pillow.
• Telephone:06-229-4401 ｜ • Getting there: diagonally opposite Chihkan Tower; about 8 minutes on foot from Daguanyin Temple.
- Styles: two designs (pink and blue, which can be bought as a pair).
- How to buy: the first batch has sold out, and the temple is now taking online pre-orders and registrations. Stock is expected from around October, withcollection in personand payment on collection. Postal delivery is not available.
Grand Matsu Temple | The Yue Lao of love powder
Tainan’s Grand Matsu Temple was the first state-built Matsu temple in Taiwan and is a national monument. It is known for a Yue Lao whose love powder draws good relations of every kind, and for the saying that it offers a direct line to the god himself.
- What he handles:For praying for a good match, warming an existing relationship or moving it towards marriage. It suits those who already have a partner or are preparing to marry.
- About the statue:Love powder and a dedicated written petition are provided, with different versions for single visitors and those already in a relationship.
The temple’s official six steps:
- Step 1 – worship the deities first:buy a set of incense and joss paper and first pay respects to Matsu and the other deities of the temple.
- Step 2 – fill in the Yue Lao petition:buy a second set of joss paper specifically for Yue Lao and fill in the petition (note the different versions for single and attached visitors).
- Step 3 – speak your wish:place the petition, joss paper and offerings on the table in the Yue Lao hall and tell him your wish. Afterwards, burn the petition and joss paper in the furnace.
- Step 4 – receive the red thread (single visitors only):those who throw an affirmative answer may take one red thread, circle it clockwise three times above the incense burner, and carry it with them.
- Step 5 – receive the love powder:circle the love powder clockwise three times above the burner, then carry it with you or apply it behind your ears.
- Step 6 – draw a Yue Lao oracle:to draw an oracle, throw the moon blocks three times, note the sequence of results, then find the corresponding verse on the reference board.
* A note from the temple: visitors who already have a partner should pray for the relationship to go well and for marriage to come soon, and should not also ask for the red thread, which is only for those without a partner.
Chongqing Temple | The Yue Lao of the vinegar jar
Chongqing Temple is one of old Tainan’s seven temples and eight shrines, and is now a Drikung Kagyu Tibetan Buddhist centre. It enshrines Yue Lao and the Messenger of Swift Reports, and is known throughout Taiwan for the remarkable culture around its vinegar jar.
- What he handles:For winning back a lover whose feelings have changed, repairing a marriage or relationship that has broken down, and resolving quarrels.
- About the statue:A vinegar jar is provided; stirring the vinegar water stands for dissolving conflict and smoothing the path of a relationship.
How do you stir the jar? The direction changes the meaning
The jar sits in front of the Messenger of Swift Reports, with an explanatory board beside it. Stir gently three times, according to what you are asking for:
- Three turns anticlockwise ➔ to win back a change of heart:if your partner’s feelings have shifted and you hope to recover the relationship, stir this way.
- Three turns clockwise ➔ for a long and harmonious life together:if the foundations are sound and you want less friction and a relationship that lasts, stir this way.
* Please note: Chongqing Temple closes at 17:00, so plan your visit accordingly.
A closer guide to the four great Yue Lao temples of old Tainan
A half-day route through old Tainan, and how to time it
BecauseChongqing Temple closes daily at 17:00(the other three stay open until nine in the evening), anyone planning to visit all four in a day must fit Chongqing Temple in before five.
Below is a walking route of about 2.8 km in total (roughly 35 minutes of walking).
| Time | Place | Walking estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | Set out from 3 Door Hotel on Chenggong Road | — |
| 09:05 – 10:10 | Daguanyin and Xingji Temples(the wide-mouthed Yue Lao) | about 4 minutes |
| 10:15 – 11:10 | Official God of War Temple(the Yue Lao with the staff) | about 8 minutes |
| 11:15 – 12:00 | Grand Matsu Temple(the Yue Lao of love powder) | about 1 minute |
| 12:00 – 13:20 | Lunch (the food around Chihkan Tower and Guohua Street) | — |
| 13:30 – 14:30 | Chongqing Temple(the Yue Lao of the vinegar jar ➔ you must arrive before 17:00) | about 10 minutes |
| After 14:30 | Head back, or carry on around the monuments of central Tainan | about 14 minutes to walk back |
Qixi in Tainan: three birthdays in a single day
In Tainan, Qixi is not only a romantic Valentine’s Day. It is also a day of history and gratitude, the day a child becomes an adult.
In Tainan tradition, the seventh day of the seventh lunar month is called a day with three birthdays, because it brings together three births and transformations of life and faith at once.
The first birthday: the feast day of the Seven Mothers (the Weaver Girl)
in folk belief, the Seven Star Goddess – popularly the Seven Mothers, or the Weaver Girl – is the guardian deity of children.
the seventh day of the seventh lunar month is her feast day. Households prepare oil rice, sesame oil chicken, scented powder, a mirror and other offerings to thank her for keeping their children safe.
The second birthday: the Bed Mother’s birthday
traditional belief holds that the Seven Mothers protect children by day and the Bed Mother by night.
Qixi is also the Bed Mother’s birthday. Parents make offerings at the head of the bed, praying that the baby will not cry or startle at night and will grow up well.
The third birthday: a sixteen-year-old’s birthday into society (the coming-of-age rite)
this is a municipally designated folk custom found nowhere else in Taiwan – the “turning sixteen” coming-of-age rite.
it began at the Wutiaogang wharves in the Qing dynasty. Child labourers could only be paid half wages; on the day they turned sixteen they could draw a full adult wage for the first time.
young people reaching sixteen go on Qixi to temples such as Kailong Temple to perform the tuojuan rite and to pass beneath the Seven Mothers’ pavilion. Emerging from the pavilion marks leaving childhood behind and being born, formally, as an adult able to carry responsibility.
For the people of Tainan, Qixi is not only a festival for couples. It is a collective celebration of life: thanking the gods, and marking a young person’s entry into society.
Q1: Can I pray to Yue Lao if my relationship is already steady?
Yes. Yue Lao governs the marital bond, which includes stability and harmony once a relationship has formed. Couples and married pairs are well suited to Chongqing Temple (for smoothing everyday friction) and the Grand Matsu Temple (for warmth in a relationship).
Q2: Can couples visit together?
Yes, and it is very common around Qixi. We suggest visiting Chongqing Temple or the Grand Matsu Temple together, giving both of your names clearly when you make your wish and praying for the relationship to last.
Q3: Is there anything I must bring as an offering?
Sweets (chocolate, soft candy, pastries) and fruit (an even number) are enough. Single visitors may also bring longan in the shell and peel and eat them after praying, symbolising shedding the shell of single life.
Q4: Do I have to ask for the red thread?
Not necessarily. According to the Official God of War Temple’s notice, if you are simply looking for someone to date, praying sincerely is enough and there is no need to ask for the thread. Ask for it by throwing the moon blocks only if you are looking for a partner with marriage in mind. Those who already have a partner should not ask for it.
Q5: Can all four temples be visited in a single day?
Yes. All four are in the old city, about 2.8 km of walking in total. Only Chongqing Temple closes at 17:00, so visit that one before five in the afternoon.
1. Tainan Qixi Carnival 2026 – BOBO, Love Lights Up
Overview
In 2026 the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Tainan City Government presents the Tainan Qixi Carnival – BOBO, Love Lights Up, under the line “just thinking of you makes me smile.” It runs for 14 days, from Monday 10 August to Sunday 23 August 2026, and is the most talked-about romantic event of the Tainan summer. Built around the endearing mascot BOBO, which fuses the “seven” of Qixi with the “t” of Tainan, it sends pink bubbles drifting through the streets of the old city, weaving light art, historic monuments, Yue Lao devotion and urban exploration into a romantic experience that carries from daytime into the summer night.
The mascot: BOBO
BOBO is the soul of this year’s carnival, designed to suggest that love flows like a bubble and holds no fixed shape. BOBO appears across Tainan as pink light installations that look different by day and by night, and is the most photographed sight of the year.
The venues
Curated around the idea that BOBO IS EVERYWHERE, the carnival takes in five venues across Tainan, carrying pink bubbles and the light of love into every corner of the city.
| Venue | Theme | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Xizhuwei Hill Cultural and Creative Park | Monuments and love | BOBO’s pink light is layered over the historic character of Xizhuwei, redrawing the memory of the place. It is the main venue for the “just thinking of you makes me smile” mini-date event |
| West Market | Projection mapping on a century-old monument | The century-old West Market hosts a large-scale architectural projection show, sending weaving and red thread through a historic space to tell the real and imagined love stories of a Tainan Qixi, and turning the summer night into a city that never sleeps |
| The four Yue Lao temples | A collaboration with Yue Lao devotion | Daguanyin Temple (the wide-mouthed Yue Lao), the Official God of War Temple (the Yue Lao with the staff), the Grand Matsu Temple (the Yue Lao of love powder) and Chongqing Temple, with a walking route linking them |
| Xiaolong Cultural Park (Jiali) | Sweetness and love | The “August in Xiaolong – we won’t stop until you’re sweet on us” series, with an appearance from the Yue Lao love bear |
| Xinying Cultural Centre | Sweetness and love | Another incarnation of the Yue Lao love bear appears in Xinying, waiting to be collected |
This year’s highlights
- BOBO appears – an installation suggesting love flowing like a bubble, the most photographed spot of the year, with different lighting effects by day and by night.
- Pink light across the city – romantic ribbons of light woven through historic monuments, worth photographing day or night, tinting the streets of the old city pink.
- A collaboration with Yue Lao devotion – tied to the devotional culture of Tainan’s four Yue Lao temples, with a temple walking route and other tasks, so praying for a match and warming an existing relationship can happen in one go.
- The Yue Lao love bear – like love itself, Yue Lao holds no fixed shape. The Yue Lao love bear appears in various incarnations in Xinying, Xiaolong and elsewhere, ready to be collected.
- Projection mapping at West Market – the century-old West Market joins a Qixi-only project, using large-scale light art to create a summer night city that belongs to Tainan alone.
[ Official information ]
• Organiser: Cultural Affairs Bureau, Tainan City Government
• Official Facebook page: Tainan Qixi Carnival
• For details, see the Cultural Affairs Bureau website
2. The “just thinking of you makes me smile” mini-date event
About the event
The centrepiece of this year’s carnival, the “just thinking of you makes me smile” mini-date event, takes place on Saturday 22 August 2026 from 10:00 to 20:10. Built around the idea of stepping into the pink bubble and meeting every possibility, it links devotion, arts and culture, historic streets and distinctive spaces into a day of exploring the city.
Mayor Huang Wei-che has said that what makes Tainan so appealing is not only its romantic atmosphere but the human warmth and the texture of daily life found throughout the city. The event does not treat matchmaking as its only purpose; participants need not prepare a polished introduction. They need only arrive with curiosity and an open mind and complete a journey through the city alongside the people they are paired with. Cultural Affairs Bureau Director Huang Ya-ling has stressed that the event moves beyond the usual singles-event format, folding Tainan’s cultural depth into the experience itself.
Details
| Date | Saturday 22 August 2026 |
| Hours | 10:00 — 20:10 |
| Who can apply | Single, unmarried people aged 25 to 45 |
| Places | 30 men and 30 women, 60 in total |
| How to apply | Online, with identity verification, until places are filled |
| Application link | https://www.surveycake.com/s/N9ngy |
| How the day runs | The day begins with a morning walk through the streets of Tainan. Participants take on group tasks and experiences at distinctive venues, closing the distance between them through natural conversation. In the early evening everyone returns to Xizhuwei Hill Cultural and Creative Park for dinner, a sharing session and a hands-on workshop, giving the day a warm ending. There are surprise tasks too, including collecting different signature colours and a red thread of your own, and puzzles to solve. Event-only gifts and insurance are provided. |
3. A guide to Tainan’s four Yue Lao temples
Tainan is known for its distinctive Yue Lao culture, and each of the four temples has its own character. They are essential stops around Qixi.
Around Qixi, officials from all four temples gather to offer incense to Yue Lao on his feast day and pray sincerely for the success of the celebrations. The Official God of War Temple and the Grand Matsu Temple are less than 200 metres apart and can easily be visited one after the other.
4. Related events
The Grand Matsu Temple’s “midsummer acoustic nights”:
from July to August 2026, every Saturday evening, the Grand Matsu Temple hosts midsummer acoustic nights. Come to the temple forecourt for the evening breeze and live singing, and the most relaxed atmosphere of a Tainan summer night.
Taiwan Festival in Kashihara, Nara 2026 – the Tainan Lantern Festival:
running at the same time in Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, Japan, from 18 July to 30 August 2026. The Tainan Lantern Festival is on show at AEON Mall Kashihara, bringing the romance of a Tainan Qixi to audiences overseas.
Stay at the start of the route and walk the whole thing
The most comfortable way to walk this route is to set out early. Daguanyin Temple opens at five, and Chenggong Road is quiet before the heat arrives, with incense smoke drifting slowly out of the forecourt – nothing like the scene after midday. But walking it unhurriedly depends on staying close enough.
The old city has many lanes, many one-way streets and few parking spaces, and more so during festivals. Driving in ties your hands. The transport that genuinely works around here is your own feet.
3 Door Hotel is at No. 77 Chenggong Road, and every place mentioned in this article is walkable from the front door:
• From 3 Door Hotel ➔ Daguanyin and Xingji Temples (the wide-mouthed Yue Lao):about 4 minutes
• From 3 Door Hotel ➔ Chihkan Tower:about 8 minutes
• From 3 Door Hotel ➔ Official God of War Temple, Grand Matsu Temple, Fortune Teller Street:about 10 minutes
• From 3 Door Hotel ➔ Chongqing Temple (the Yue Lao of the vinegar jar):about 14 minutes
• From 3 Door Hotel ➔ West Market, Zhengxing Street, Guohua Street:about 17 minutes
Open the door and you are at the starting point; walk the loop and you come back to the same street. No parking to find, no transport to wait for, and after the evening light displays you can simply walk yourself home.
3 Door Hotel was built by the 3L architecture team, who specialise in bespoke homes: seven floors and six different characters, with terrazzo floors and cypress in the rooms. After a day of walking between temples, coming back to a space someone has genuinely thought about makes for a better night’s sleep.
In Tainan, Qixi has never been a single day’s festival. It is this city’s complete answer to the question of how a life should be lived – finding someone, becoming someone, and going out into the world. For three hundred years, all of it has happened on these few streets.
Whether Yue Lao lends a hand is his business. At least on this trip, you said clearly what you came to say.
