Introduction

Wanhua was known as "Bangka" in the olden days, a term that can refer to canoes or a place where canoes come together. The Department of Information and Tourism, under the Taipei City Government, is planning to hold the World Religious Expo on Qingming Festival. At first glance, it is simply an educational event that teaches people to respect and accept one another through the juxtaposition of different religions. However, the event is actually a maneuver of the mayor in his bid to become the Premier of Taiwan. In view of the agenda behind the event, the Longshan Temple refused to loan out their Buddha statues to the city government. The temple even issued The Bangka Declaration of Independence as a warning to the city government, which serves to remind the authorities that they should always prioritize the needs of the people in its governance of Taipei City. Seeing that the event organization has come to a deadlock, the Department of Information and Tourism has no choice but to engage the help of Wang Hui, a professional baseball player long past his prime, in the negotiations with the temple personnel. Can the former star catcher tackle all the challenges thrown his way? Chen Hao-Wei, a lovelorn soldier serving his military service, and Tai Jeng-Chao, a taxi driver haunted by apparitions, also become embroiled in this "battle of religions ". Will the unremarkable lives of the three protagonists take a dramatic turn as a result of this conflict? Many familiar scenes of Taipei City are featured in this book, which utilizes multiple perspectives to present the Taiwanese temple culture and observations of the Taiwanese society in all their authenticity.