::Nuwa Mends the Sky: The Legend of Lukang’s "Jian Dui"::

ZHUANG, XIU-ZHI (70 years and older / Chenghuang Temple Volunteer)

Interview Topic: The Volunteer Team Leader Who Rolls "Jian Dui"
Interview Location: Lukang Chenghuang Temple
Interviewee: ZHUANG, XIU-ZHI (Chenghuang Temple Volunteer)

	Q1：Auntie, why are you volunteering to fry "Jian Dui" today?
	A1：We usually help believers ward off misfortune and disaster through chanting scriptures. Everyone takes turns chanting and praying before the deities. Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. Everyone is making "Jian Dui" (a traditional offering of sacrifices). There's no need to take turns; everyone will come. The Ritual of the Dipper is held in the ninth lunar month, from the first day of the ninth month until the Double Ninth Festival on the ninth day. During this period, sutras are chanted, making it a very important activity.
	Q2：Besides the Ritual of the Dipper in September, what other important days are there at Chenghuang Temple?
	A2： Cheng Huang Ye's birthday is also an important day at Chenghuang Temple. Cheng Huang Ye's birthday is on the 28th day of the fifth lunar month, a time when the celebrations are very lively.
	Q3：How do you volunteers schedule your time?
	A3：We all come voluntarily. Everyone is here to serve the deities and do good deeds (volunteer work). If the intention is there, people will come to help. Previously, volunteers had a fixed number of service days (e.g., three days a week), but now they take turns serving according to the temple's schedule.
	Q4：Did you have the custom of eating "Jian Dui" when you were a child during the Dragon Boat Festival? Did you eat anything special during worship or festivals in the past?
	A4：During the Dragon Boat Festival, people eat "Jian Dui". There's an old saying: "Eating 'Jian Dui' mends the sky." This is related to the story of Nuwa Mends the Sky; eating "Jian Dui" symbolizes helping Mends the Sky.
	Q5：Besides "Jian Dui," are there any other special offerings for the Dragon Boat Festival?
	A5：During Worship, we prepare Jian Dui, bamboo-leaf-wrapped rice dumpling, and also peaches and plums. Why worship peaches and plums? There's a saying, "Peaches and plums are everywhere" which symbolizes having pupils everywhere, a very auspicious meaning.

Listening to Grandma's sharing, we learned that besides chanting scriptures, the volunteers also all participate in frying "Jian Dui" during the Dragon Boat Festival. Their spontaneous service to the deities is truly touching! Besides the saying "Eating 'Jian Dui' mends the sky," Grandma also told us that peaches and plums are used during the Dragon Boat Festival worship, symbolizing "Having pupils everywhere." I never knew offerings weren't just delicious, they also held such profound auspicious meanings! This temple culture lesson has truly broadened my horizons!