Taiwan Today

Each May, Taiwanese ninth graders and their parents pour into temples to pray to Lord Emperor Wenchang, or the God of Literature, for good grades in the nation’s Comprehensive Assessment Program for Junior High School Students. The students’ results in the assessment, which consists of examinations in Mandarin, English, mathematics, science and social studies, are the primary factor in determining which vocational or senior high school they will attend.

Inside the temples, pupils hold up their admission cards for the test in front of the Taoist deity, who is regularly visited by those seeking help with academic matters. The offerings made during these temple visits typically include items that have similar Mandarin or Holo—often called Taiwanese and the language of Taiwan’s largest ethnic group—pronunciations as characteristics needed to be successful in examinations. For instance, worshippers often bring scallions, as the Mandarin word for the green onions, cong, sounds similar to the first character in the term for intelligence, congming. Devotees also ensure that there are no eggs in their offerings as the shape of eggs evokes the number zero, a very unwelcome grade indeed.

Every point counts in the assessments. Though the prayers and rituals do not work miracles, many teenagers gain confidence from believing that they are being watched over by the God of Literature, enabling them to more easily recall what they have studied.

Write to Jim Hwang at cyhuang03@mofa.gov.tw