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Taiwan's anti-incense policy fuels protest

Unhappy with feared government plans, 10,000 people protest in Taipei
Taiwan's anti-incense policy fuels protest

A woman puts incense into an urn at Lung Shan Temple in Taipei. (Photo by Sam Yeh/AFP)

Published: July 26, 2017 05:10 AM GMT
Updated: July 26, 2017 05:13 AM GMT

Thousands of people joined a carnival-style protest in the Taiwanese capital over concerns the government is cracking down on incense use.

The July 23 rally in Taipei was staged after an incorrect news report sparked an outcry that the country's Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) was prohibiting the use of incense.

Officials said the report was erroneous and that the EPA was looking to reduce incense use, not prohibit it.

The clarification still did not stop a crowd of 10,000 people — largely Taoists and believers of folk religions — from protesting outside the Presidential Office Building. About 100 temples were represented at the event.

Due to pollution concerns, the EPA tabled a policy calling for a reduction in the use of incense in mid-June. Li Yingyuan, head of the EPA, said the policy is aimed at reducing air pollutants. Li said an estimated 24 tons of incense is burnt across Taiwan annually.

As part of its efforts, the EPA is considering limiting the use of cheaper incense made in China and Vietnam.

Lin Le'an, from the Wude Kong Temple in Yunlin, central Taiwan, argued that incense pollution caused by temples is minimal. Lin suggested that improving incense quality was a more appropriate way to reduce air pollution.

Some well-known temples such as Hsing Tian Kong and Lung Shan temples in Taipei, have already self-implemented policies to use less incense or to prohibit its use.

A Hsing Tian Kong spokesman told the media that the temple banned incense use three years ago. He said that more than 90 percent of people think the worship environment has improved as a result.

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