Shimen Lover's Temple Introduction
Located above Fugu Fishing Port in Shimen District, New Taipei City, the main deity worshipped here is the Love and Happiness Buddha from Tibet. On either side of the main temple stand two intertwined trees known as the Couple Trees. Every weekend, many visitors come seeking blessings for romance and family harmony. The origin of the Love Temple stems from the two old banyan trees nearby, referred to as the Old Tree God and the Old Tree Goddess. Though standing on either side of the main temple, their branches are intertwined, creating a remarkable sight, and they are commonly called the Couple Trees or Lover Trees by devotees. After the establishment of the Love Temple, the old temple master, Jiang Zhengyi, discussed with metaphysics expert Wang Luojiao and decided to invite the Love and Happiness Buddha, also known as "Guru Guo Lie Fo Mu," from Tibet in mainland China for worship. In Tibetan Buddhism, the Buddha Mother is responsible for marriage, couple relationships, family peace, childbirth, financial matters, career, and studies, and is honored with two titles: the Couple Deity and the Love Deity. The unique image of the Buddha Mother, holding a bow and arrow of love in one hand and a love rope in the other, is also a distinctive feature. Generally, it’s not suitable for couples or spouses to visit Love Temples together, but this is not a concern at Shimen Love Temple.
