Yilan beach becomes battleground between religion and environment
Yilan beach becomes battleground between religion and environment
2026-04-09
A beach in Yilan has become the latest battleground between religion and environmental protection. Every year, a local temple in Toucheng fills up the coastline with thick smoke from burning piles upon piles of joss paper, right on the sand. They have been doing so every year for decades and don’t see anything wrong with it. But local business owners say it is very unpleasant, as it fills the area with smoke. Even though the temple has previously been fined for violating environmental protection laws, they say they won’t be stopping any time soon. That is, unless the gods agree to change location.
Thick smoke has engulfed the beach as a group of people burn reams upon reams of joss paper.
Business owner
Runs shop nearby
Customers have complained about the smoke, it drifts all the way here. Customers get smoked up, and even passers-by get ash on their faces. It deals a blow to business, because the entire shop smells like smoke.
Ms. Huang
Temple staff
Every year, we do the bonfires at the same spot. If the gods agree to the burning, we send notices to the fire department and the environmental authorities to tell them about the place and time of the burning.
But the bonfires are a pain for nearby business. Toucheng Xietian Temple, which has more than 200 years of history says that the tradition has been passed down for decades and has unclear origins. The beachside bonfires have been reported in the past, and the temple had to pay a fine of NT$1,200 last year for violating air pollution laws. Despite that, the temple says it will continue holding burning offerings at the beach in coming years anyway, unless the gods of the temple agree to change locations.
Ms. Huang
Temple staff
We follow the will of our deities. We go wherever they say. We’ll ask whether we should do it at the beach again. If the answer is yes, we’ll go ahead.
Hu Pi-hui
Yilan Environmental Protection Bureau
Their actions are in violation of Article 32 of the Air Pollution Control Act. We will issue a citation and fines of between NT$1,200 and NT$100,000.
Despite the risk of fines, the temple insists on continuing the seaside burning ritual. They say that even if they are fined every year, they still have to follow the will of the deities.
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#yilan #toucheng #beach #pollution #tradition #josspaper
頭城海灘煙霧瀰漫! 宮廟焚燒大量金紙釀空氣污染
2026-04-09
宜蘭頭城海邊，近日被民眾發現，有人在焚燒金紙，引發空氣汙染疑慮，廟方表示，這是他們從以前到現在的傳統，會開會請示神明要不要換地方，如果不要，來年還是會在原地繼續辦，就算被罰也沒在怕。而縣府環保局說，這樣的行為，可開罰一千二到十萬元。
海灘上煙霧瀰漫，靠近看才發現，有群人在焚燒一堆又一堆紙錢。
[[附近店家]]
“客人是反映說太嚴重了，都飄到這裡，客人都被薰到，而且走過的客人，路過的人也都會說今天整個薰臉。營業一定會造成困擾的，因為整間店都佈滿煙味啊。”
[[廟方人員 黃小姐]]
“每一年都是統一在那個地方燒，所以我們每一年都會發給…就是宮廟他如果有同意燒的話，他都會給消防局，或者是環保局一個公文，我們都會先送公文，去跟他們講述一下，我們什麼時候要辦這個活動，什麼時候要燒這樣子。”
海灘燒紙錢的行為，讓附近的店家相當困擾。始作俑者原來是宜蘭頭城協天宮，這個具有兩百年歷史的宮廟，廟方說，這是老一輩留下的傳統，已經數十年，起源不可考，過往也都在海邊舉辦，也都有民眾檢舉，去年就因為環境汙染，被罰1200元，但他們似乎沒打算收斂，還說會問神明要不要改地點，如果神明不要，來年還是會繼續在頭城海邊辦。
[[廟方人員 黃小姐]]
“我們還是以我們的神明為主，祂是說要在哪裡就在哪裡。再請教祂是不是一樣在海邊，如果祂還是要在海邊的話，我們還是會海邊。”
[[宜蘭縣環保局稽查科長 胡壁輝]]
“該行為已經違反空氣汙染防治法第三十二條規定，那本局將予以告發，那後續將處以一千兩百元以上，十萬元以下罰鍰。”
寧願冒著被罰的風險，也要在海邊燒紙錢，廟方表示每一年都被罰也沒辦法，他們還是要聽神明的話。
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