Taiwanese sculptor giving discarded gods a home

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Wednesday, January 27, 2021

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Taiwanese sculptor giving discarded gods a home

Lin Hsin-lai has spent decades sheltering and restoring unwanted statues of gods

Published: April 30, 2020 10:56 AFP and Compiled by Christian Borbon, Digital Content Editor

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Copy of 888421-01-08-1588228415227 — Every spare surface of Lin Hsin-lai's four-storey shop is crammed with a pantheon of Taiwan's celestial beings, testament to the decades he has spent sheltering and restoring unwanted statues of gods. | Sculptor Lin Hsin-lai displays a Taoist god statue at his workplace in Taoyuan, Taiwan. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 888422-01-08-1588228418088 — To venture inside is a tour of the heavens. Thousands of statues fill the shelves, from popular deities such as the sea goddess Mazu and the fearsome Guan Yu - a red-faced warrior god worshipped by police and gangsters alike - to lesser known beings like a tiger shaped guardian spirit. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 888420-01-08-1588228412447 — Buddhism and Taoism, the island's two dominant religions, venerate a host of gods and incarnations - bolstered by a slew of colourful folk deities. Yet many are thrown away. Lin Hsin-lai restoring a Taoist god statue. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 888417-01-08-1588228425033 — So over the last four decades, Lin, 61, has embarked on a one-man mission to adopt any god statue that may need a new home. | Sculptor Lin Hsin-lai displays a Taoist god statue at his workplace in Taoyuan, Taiwan. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 888418-01-08-1588228427621 — The trained sculptor estimates he has saved some 20,000 statues over the years. | Lin Hsin-lai paints a Taoist god statue. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 888415-01-08-1588228420286 — A woman takes her new Taoist god statue home after it was restored by sculptor Lin Hsin-lai. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 888416-01-08-1588228422706 — A man holds his new Taoist god statue above a fire during a blessing ceremony after it was restored by sculptor Lin Hsin-lai. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 888419-01-08-1588228410451 — A woman holds her new Taoist god statue above a fire during a blessing ceremony after it was restored by sculptor Lin Hsin-lai. Image Credit: AFP

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