In a temple classroom in Nantou, one rule keeps everyone thinking – in Taiwanese. 

Video script: 

At Songboling Shoutian Temple in Nantou County, a new course is challenging students and instructors to speak entirely in Taiwanese. The goal? To promote local temple culture and keep the mother tongue alive in religious and community settings. 

The penalty for slipping into Mandarin or another language is playful but pointed: wear a placard around your neck that reads “I speak my mother tongue” – in this context, Taiwanese. 

Folklore expert Xie Zong-rong (謝宗榮) is among those navigating the rule. He hopes the students will give him three chances. He is trying to avoid the sign, and so is everyone else – sparking on-the-spot brainstorming to stay in Taiwanese. 

However, not everyone is convinced the hanging sign approach is necessary. One participant says, “It’s alright. If you’re unhappy, you can say so – it depends on the person and their comfort level. You could use other methods, or just speak or discuss; there’s no need to wear a sign.”  

Organizers insist it isn’t bullying. The sign is meant to encourage, not shame. As folklore specialist Wen Tsung-han (温宗翰) explains, “You must use Taiwanese; if you don’t, you’ll be ‘dog-tagged.’ Throughout the course, you’ll naturally use your mother tongue and think in it.”

Students see the value. The whole session is in Taiwanese, so they think it’s called for.

The temple’s all-Taiwanese academy covers Taiwanese folk beliefs and culture, with hands-on modules such as the division of incense ash and incense stick rubbing. By tying language to lived ritual, the program aims to make heritage stick through speech, practice, and a little friendly peer pressure.