Campaigning in Temples: Religion and Politics in Taiwanese National Elections

• In Event: Explaining the 2024 Taiwan Presidential Election

Abstract

Temples are the primary sites for political campaigning in Taiwanese elections. During the six months before the 2024 presidential election, the three candidates paid more than 270 visits to more than 220 temples, averaging nearly four temple visits per candidate weekly. Among these temples, only seven were visited by all three candidates. Around one-fifth of them were visited by more than one candidate, and four-fifths received only one presidential candidate. Temple worshipping by political candidates in a secular democracy begs these questions: What is the temple’s role in Taiwan’s electoral processes? Why do presidential candidates frequent temples during the campaign trail? How do candidates decide which temples to visit? This paper uses Taiwan’s 2024 presidential election as a case study. It analyzes the three presidential candidates’ temple visits between August 1, 2023, and January 12, 2024. Using in-depth interviews with campaign managers and temple management, this paper will investigate the factors influencing presidential candidates’ temple visits, including campaign strategies, party organizations, and the temple’s political leanings and networks.

Author

• Kuei-Min Chang, National Taiwan University