Zhulin Mountain Divine Pig Competition is full of creativity, with painted pigs, bread pigs and eco-friendly pigs showing the sincerity of worship

Named by animal protection groups as "holding the most divine pig events in all of Taiwan, China" (Note 1), the Linkou Zhulinshan Guanyin Temple is one of the few Guanyin temples that still keeps a divine pig weight competition (Note 2), holding a divine pig contest three times a year, and animal protection groups have called on the temple and devotees for years to stop encouraging the cruel slaughter of animals.

This year the rotating sacrifice for the "Anniversary of Guanyin Bodhisattva's Attainment of the Way" fell to the "Dahupingwei" of Guishan District ("pingwei" is a term for a rotating duty area), and the six participating villages and neighborhoods reached a consensus to replace "real pigs" with "creative divine pigs" in the competition, with bread pigs, fruit pigs and eco-friendly pigs filling the site as devotees rushed to take photos, making it an alternative focal point of the sacrifice. Devotees said that offerings now follow a fully vegetarian approach, which residents actually accept more readily, and "the ceremonial effect can be achieved just the same."

Trivia: Some divine pig weight competitions have been accused of restricting the pigs' movement and force-feeding them during rearing so they keep "putting on weight," until they become so fat they cannot stand, are paralyzed and their bodies are covered in bedsores; on the night before the ceremony they are also bound hand and foot and subjected to rough treatment such as being hoisted onto trucks, and the slaughter process lacks humane methods such as electric stunning, using instead direct throat-cutting and bloodletting. The event process often draws outside criticism for suspected animal cruelty.

A big display of creativity! Bread pigs and eco-friendly pigs take the stage

The 19th day of the 9th lunar month each year is the Zhulin Mountain "Anniversary of Guanyin Bodhisattva's Attainment of the Way." This year the sacrifice fell to Dahupingwei in Guishan District, with villagers from six neighborhoods taking part. At eight o'clock this morning (the 17th) the temple courtyard square was packed with crowds and a "pig tide," as "creative divine pigs" were carried into the venue one after another, among which only one "real pig" competed.

Dahu neighborhood chief Cai Zhaozhi invited villagers to collect empty PET bottles, wash them and stuff them into plastic buckets to make the pig's body, decorate the exterior with discarded optical discs, and then hollow out a washbasin to make the pig's head, proudly presenting the "most eco-friendly divine pig." Cai Zhaozhi said the "eco-friendly pig" not only promotes the idea of reducing waste but also brings residents together in the DIY process. "These are all made by our own residents, not bought ready-made. The divine pig will later be displayed in the village as a keepsake."

The "pig" is merely a symbolic offering, and the ceremonial effect is the same

Dahua, Wenqing, Gongxi and Leshan neighborhoods also put out "bread divine pigs," each a giant divine pig assembled from shaqima, crackers and shaped pig bread.

Wenqing neighborhood chief Jian Qiaoting said that taking the "creative divine pig" route this year was the consensus of the whole district, and a real pig could be represented by the household of the ritual host alone. "What matters in fulfilling a vow is sincerity. The 'pig' is just a symbolic offering. Our 'bread pig' will still be distributed to the devotees at noon after worship, and everyone can still eat the blessed 'divine pig meat.'"

Leshan neighborhood chief Huang Jinfang likewise spoke from the heart, noting that offerings now follow a fully vegetarian approach, which residents actually accept more readily. Dahua neighborhood said that with Guishan District now having many industrial zones and few pig-raising residents, the most convenient way to make offerings is to use fruit pigs and bread pigs instead, and "the ceremonial effect can be achieved just the same."

The "painted pig" is super kawaii. Devotees: what matters is the sincerity of worship

As for the most eye-catching item of all, it was a three-meter-tall pink painted pig standing in the center of the venue, made with a wire frame covered in paper, painted on the outside in bright pink and purple and decorated with rice crackers. The advertising sign maker surnamed Chen who was in charge of making it said the divine pig took a week to complete, and was deliberately given big cartoon-style watery eyes. "Pigs' eyes are usually rather small, but I wanted to paint it cute so that children would want to come close too."

Wenhua neighborhood chief Huang Mingzhu explained the origin of this year's "painted pig," saying that society is now mainly industrial and commercial. "Many people actually don't know how to slaughter a pig, are not capable of slaughtering a pig, and at the same time don't want to slaughter a pig." So a fun approach was chosen to present the image of the divine pig, which can likewise show gratitude to the deities, and the "painted pig" can afterward be provided for people to photograph and enjoy together. He stressed, "What matters is the sincerity of worship, and this must not be allowed to fade, but we have to find a way that most neighborhood residents can accept, so we can keep building consensus and maintain the traditional faith."