石碇姑娘廟, Chinese temple in Stone Maiden Village, Taiwan
Stone Maiden Temple is a Chinese temple in Shiding District, Taiwan, built on two levels: the upper floor is used for worship and the lower floor houses the caretakers. Inside, memorial tablets for unmarried deceased women are kept in the prayer hall.
The temple was built in 1918 to honor Wei Bian, an unmarried woman who died during the Qing Dynasty and whose spirit reportedly asked local residents for proper veneration. Her case moved the community to create a dedicated place for women in similar situations.
The temple is dedicated to unmarried women who, by tradition, could not be honored in family ancestral halls, so this place became an alternative space for their memory.
The temple sits on Dahugo Road in Shiding District and is reached by climbing stone steps up to the main prayer hall. Solid footwear is a good idea since the path involves a noticeable change in elevation.
The temple has an unusual lending tradition where visitors can borrow a small sum of 20 New Taiwan Dollars, which must later be repaid through a specific ceremonial gesture. This ties a practical act of borrowing to a spiritual promise in a way that is rarely seen at other temples.
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