The handmade string noodles may be cooked in ordinary families and as a symbol of luck, be used on many important occasions or to remove misfortune. In addition, the string noodles may serve as the important offerings for worshipping the deities and are often used in such rituals.

Offerings for worshipping the deities

While arriving at the famous Xing Tian Gong in Taipei, the tourists are often met by the old ladies peddling incense and offerings, which are for the most part offered in sets of a rice cake, a bunch of string noodles and a small dim sum (cake or rice cracker), the three of which the Buddhist laymen and laywomen prepare as substitute offerings for fish and meat to demonstrate their piety. Among the three articles, the string noodles represent regards and imply prayers for fortune and longevity.

What is more, in the 1993 Wenshan County Art Festival activity of Wenshan District, the organizer also prepared the string noodles fortunate pig, which was make of cakes and string noodles and which was meant to be distributed to all the participants of the activity after mixed with tea oil to represent the “Fortune-Eating” ritual. In the old days, the three domesticated animals (pig, ox and ram) were used for worshipping the deities in this ritual, whereas nowadays, in consideration of the facts that some people are vegetarians and that it is not easy to distribute the meat, such vegetarian pigs as string noodles pigs are used instead to pray for fortune.

Production and application of the string noodles tower-Interview with the boss of the Jin Yi Xiang Pastry Shop

The Jin Yi Xiang Pastry Shop is another famous shop on the old Mucha Street. It offers the longevity peaches, longevity tortoises, vegetarian pork and ram, and string noodles towers for worshipping the deities as well as such ordinary pastry as gift cakes, bean paste pies, pineapple cakes, etc., which are pretty delicious. Its crafts of making offerings are so famous that most temple fairs in the Great Taipei area use the offerings it produced. Among all its products, the string noodles tower, as suggested by its name, is associated with string noodles and Mr. Gao, the boss, introduced it at length to us.

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