White Snake Temple
The White Snake Temple, officially known as Fangliao Ditang Temple, is a Chinese folk temple located in Fangliao Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan. The temple is notable for being primarily dedicated to Bai Suzhen, a central figure from the famous Chinese folktale, the Legend of the White Snake. It is one of the few temples where a character from a folk legend is worshipped as a principal deity and is famous for housing live snakes, which are considered sacred by its devotees.
History
The temple was founded by Luo Shifu. According to the temple's history, Luo had a dream in the 1990s in which a woman identifying herself as Bai Suzhen appeared. She told him that she had been practicing asceticism for a long time and wished for him to build a temple in her honor, promising to aid local development and protect worshippers.Following the dream, Luo established a small shrine in his home. As belief in the deity grew and worshippers increased, he raised funds to construct the current temple in 2002. The temple's formal name, Ditang Temple, translates to "Hall of the Earth Dragon," a term that elevates the snake from a common animal to a powerful spiritual entity. It has become a major tourist attraction in Pingtung County.
Deities
The principal deity of the temple is Bai Suzhen. While the legend has various interpretations, the temple venerates her as a benevolent and protective goddess. Worshippers pray to her for blessings related to wealth, career, relationships, and protection from misfortune.Accompanying Bai Suzhen is her sworn sister from the legend, Xiaoqing, the Green Snake. Statues and imagery of Xiaoqing are present, and she is revered as a loyal companion and a protector in her own right. The temple also houses other deities commonly found in Taiwanese folk religion temples, including Guanyin, Guan Yu, Yaotai Laomu, Sanqing Daozu, Tianshang Shengmu, Tudigong and Zhang Tianshi.
Worship and rituals
The White Snake Temple is distinguished by its unique rituals involving live snakes. The temple keeps several large snakes—often albino or leucistic pythons—which are regarded as spiritual representatives or manifestations of Bai Suzhen. As of 2025, the temple houses approximately 300 white snakes.The most well-known ritual is called "Crossing Under the Snake". In this practice, temple staff and handlers hold a large python aloft while devotees walk or crawl beneath it. This act is believed to bring great fortune, dispel misfortune, and invoke the blessings of the White Snake Lady. The snakes are treated with deep reverence and are considered sacred beings rather than pets.
On the deity’s birthday celebration, held during the Dragon Boat Festival, the White Snake Temple hosts a series of activities. These include a scripture-chanting ceremony led by Taoist priests, a group worship service in honor of the goddess's birthday, egg-balancing rituals, and events intended to attract wealth and divine blessings. Devotees may also request symbolic items to take home, such as "dragon robes" and "treasure basins", believed to bring good fortune.
Worshippers commonly offer traditional items such as incense, flowers, and fruit. It is also customary to present offerings associated with beauty and femininity—such as cosmetics or perfume—in homage to the goddess's graceful human form in the legend. According to the temple, most worshippers seek blessings related to wealth. However, due to the romantic legend of Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian, many also visit to pray for love and marriage.