{"id":1749266,"date":"2026-02-04T15:07:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T12:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1749266"},"modified":"2026-02-04T15:07:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T12:07:00","slug":"in-pictures-taiwans-spiritual-temple-raves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1749266","title":{"rendered":"In pictures: Taiwan\u2019s spiritual temple raves"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/199-415-2359-1573\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436233.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/music\/article\/69555\/1\/in-photos-taiwan-spiritual-temple-raves-bruno-pruhs\" data-article-id=\"69555\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.51\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"creds to \u5f35\u5bb8\u744b Chenwei Chang\" class=\"img\" height=\"1988\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1400\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436233.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography \u5f35\u5bb8\u744b <span class=\"nowrap\">Chenwei Chang<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-02-04T15:07:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"04 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"4\">4,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - music\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/scene-and-spotted\">Scene And Spotted<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/scene-and-spotted\">Scene And Spotted<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>In pictures: Taiwan\u2019s spiritual <span class=\"nowrap\">temple raves<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>DJs spin hardcore from altars and traditional bachajiang performers dance into the early hours in two new short films from documentarian <span class=\"nowrap\">Bruno Pruhs<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-04T15:07:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"04 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"4\">4,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-04T15:07:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"04 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"4\">4,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/solomonpacemccarrick\">Solomon Pace-McCarrick<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-13-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Taiwan\u2019s Temple Raves<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36623\/0\/taiwan-s-temple-raves\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"creds to temple meltdown (event organizers)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1043\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1564-1043\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436228.jpg\" width=\"1564\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36623\/1\/taiwan-s-temple-raves\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"creds to temple meltdown (event organizers)(1)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1043\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1564-1043\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436229.jpg\" width=\"1564\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36623\/2\/taiwan-s-temple-raves\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"creds to temple meltdown (event organizers)(2)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1043\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1564-1043\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436230.jpg\" width=\"1564\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36623\/3\/taiwan-s-temple-raves\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"creds to temple meltdown (event organizers)(3)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1706\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-2560-1706\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436231.jpg\" width=\"2560\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36623\/4\/taiwan-s-temple-raves\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"creds to temple meltdown (event organizers)(4)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1043\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1564-1043\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436232.jpg\" width=\"1564\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36623\/5\/taiwan-s-temple-raves\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"creds to \u5f35\u5bb8\u744b Chenwei Chang\" class=\"img\" height=\"1573\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/199-415-2359-1573\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436233.jpg\" width=\"2359\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 13 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Around the world, it\u2019s not uncommon to hear raving framed as a spiritual act, but very few have taken it as far as Taiwanese event platform <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/temple_meltdown\/?hl=en\"><span>Temple Meltdown<\/span><\/a><span>, in which attendees party in a place of worship itself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Appearing in a new YouTube video series created by 24-year-old documentarian and self-proclaimed adventurer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@sceneunderground\">Bruno Pruhs<\/a>, <\/span><em><span>Taiwan\u2019s Underground Temple Raves<\/span><\/em><span> comprises two short films depicting this new movement: rigs erected in scenic mountain-view locations around Taipei, DJs spinning hardcore techno and tearout dubstep from the temple altars, and <\/span><em><span>bachajiang <\/span><\/em><span>(masked temple guardians) performers<\/span><span>dancing into the early hours of the morning. What\u2019s most surprising of all, however, is that these events are not only legal, but also in direct harmony with the function these sacred spaces are meant to perform.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThey\u2019re not rebelling against tradition, they\u2019re remixing it,\u201d Pruhs tells Dazed, emphasising that temples are so numerous throughout the country that they become a part of daily life. \u201cIn Taiwan, temples are treated more like community spaces, versus sacred, untouchable monuments. It\u2019s very different from the West, where, when you go into a church, you have to be quiet and chill. It\u2019s part of the reason why I think temple raves could only happen in Taiwan. Put it this way: if young people are not going to the temples, then they would lose their cultural value and collect dust.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"JbJOezN6Ts8\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JbJOezN6Ts8\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Pruhs, who is a New Yorker born and raised, had previously found himself locked down in Taiwan during the Covid period, during which time he became fluent in Mandarin. But it was during a return trip to Taiwan last year that he came across these underground temple raves and decided to create an initial video documenting his time attending the parties. When the video caught the attention of Temple Meltdown founder Andrew, however, Pruhs found himself creating a second short film unpacking the scene from the inside.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThe way Andrew arranged these parties is that he would approach the temple manager and ask for permission, a lot of the time they would just say yes,\u201d explains Pruhs. \u201cWhen I interviewed Andrew at the party at Fulong Temple in the mountains, he described the raves as one big spider with multiple legs, they\u2019re all connected.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Indeed, according to Pruhs, these temple raves are envisioned more as an offering to the folkloric spirits these shrines celebrate than an opportunity \u2018get fucked up\u2019 (aside from the few westerners in attendance). One testament to this philosophy of venerable partying arrived when Pruhs attended a rave at an abandoned temple and someone decided to spray paint one of the walls inside the space. \u201cThat was a huge shock to the community,\u201d Pruhs explains. \u201cIn Taiwan, people tend to be very understanding and respectful, and doing something like that was totally not okay.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"728fa9fe-8b0a-403e-9e01-b3e6011bf592\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1573\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436230.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.51\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"creds to temple meltdown (event organizers)(2)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1043\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436230.jpg\" width=\"1573\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography (@temple_meltdown)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Uploaded as part of his overarching<em> The Scene <\/em>documentary series, which features films on everything from New York subway surfers to warehouse living in Tokyo, the Taiwan temple rave duology is told with a distinctly emotive style. Rose-tinted shots depict party-goers flocking to the remote destinations on mopeds two-by-two, hand-drawn animations of spirits and dragons dance in the background, and one scene even features a 3D recreation of a temple floating through space.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWith <em>The Scene<\/em>, I wanted to create stories with surreal elements in them,\u201d Pruhs explains of this unique direction. \u201cWith the temple raves, I was definitely going for nostalgia, because I\u2019m just so in love with Taiwan and hoped that people would see what a beautiful place it is. With the road trip segment in particular, I was just so in love with this girl, and we were headed on a road trip to one of the temple raves. The feelings in that segment are the feelings that I had after that relationship, looking back on that beautiful experience with her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Pruhs views <em>The Scene <\/em>as both a record of his adventures to look back on when he\u2019s old, as well as a way to give platforms to people who might not otherwise have one. He speaks with excitement about his upcoming videos, one of which will feature what he describes as \u201cthe last flop house on Bowery\u201d in New York City. Watch Pruhs\u2019 full documentary series on his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@sceneunderground\">YouTube channel here<\/a>, and, for a closer look at Taiwan\u2019s temple raves, check out the gallery above.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! 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data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"YvPxYRbxT9o-SD\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-640-426\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/5\/1435288.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">\u2018It\u2019s a revolution\u2019: Nigeria\u2019s new-gen rappers are hitting the mainstream<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-13-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Taiwan\u2019s Temple Raves<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36623\/0\/taiwan-s-temple-raves\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"creds to temple meltdown (event organizers)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1043\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1564-1043\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436228.jpg\" width=\"1564\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36623\/1\/taiwan-s-temple-raves\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"creds to temple meltdown (event organizers)(1)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1043\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1564-1043\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436229.jpg\" width=\"1564\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36623\/2\/taiwan-s-temple-raves\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"creds to temple meltdown (event organizers)(2)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1043\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1564-1043\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436230.jpg\" width=\"1564\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36623\/3\/taiwan-s-temple-raves\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"creds to temple meltdown (event organizers)(3)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1706\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-2560-1706\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436231.jpg\" width=\"2560\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36623\/4\/taiwan-s-temple-raves\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"creds to temple meltdown (event organizers)(4)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1043\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1564-1043\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436232.jpg\" width=\"1564\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36623\/5\/taiwan-s-temple-raves\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"creds to \u5f35\u5bb8\u744b Chenwei Chang\" class=\"img\" height=\"1573\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/199-415-2359-1573\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436233.jpg\" width=\"2359\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 13 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Around the world, it\u2019s not uncommon to hear raving framed as a spiritual act, but very few have taken it as far as Taiwanese event platform <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/temple_meltdown\/?hl=en\"><span>Temple Meltdown<\/span><\/a><span>, in which attendees party in a place of worship itself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Appearing in a new YouTube video series created by 24-year-old documentarian and self-proclaimed adventurer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@sceneunderground\">Bruno Pruhs<\/a>, <\/span><em><span>Taiwan\u2019s Underground Temple Raves<\/span><\/em><span> comprises two short films depicting this new movement: rigs erected in scenic mountain-view locations around Taipei, DJs spinning hardcore techno and tearout dubstep from the temple altars, and <\/span><em><span>bachajiang <\/span><\/em><span>(masked temple guardians) performers<\/span><span>dancing into the early hours of the morning. What\u2019s most surprising of all, however, is that these events are not only legal, but also in direct harmony with the function these sacred spaces are meant to perform.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThey\u2019re not rebelling against tradition, they\u2019re remixing it,\u201d Pruhs tells Dazed, emphasising that temples are so numerous throughout the country that they become a part of daily life. \u201cIn Taiwan, temples are treated more like community spaces, versus sacred, untouchable monuments. It\u2019s very different from the West, where, when you go into a church, you have to be quiet and chill. It\u2019s part of the reason why I think temple raves could only happen in Taiwan. Put it this way: if young people are not going to the temples, then they would lose their cultural value and collect dust.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"JbJOezN6Ts8\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JbJOezN6Ts8\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Pruhs, who is a New Yorker born and raised, had previously found himself locked down in Taiwan during the Covid period, during which time he became fluent in Mandarin. But it was during a return trip to Taiwan last year that he came across these underground temple raves and decided to create an initial video documenting his time attending the parties. When the video caught the attention of Temple Meltdown founder Andrew, however, Pruhs found himself creating a second short film unpacking the scene from the inside.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThe way Andrew arranged these parties is that he would approach the temple manager and ask for permission, a lot of the time they would just say yes,\u201d explains Pruhs. \u201cWhen I interviewed Andrew at the party at Fulong Temple in the mountains, he described the raves as one big spider with multiple legs, they\u2019re all connected.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Indeed, according to Pruhs, these temple raves are envisioned more as an offering to the folkloric spirits these shrines celebrate than an opportunity \u2018get fucked up\u2019 (aside from the few westerners in attendance). One testament to this philosophy of venerable partying arrived when Pruhs attended a rave at an abandoned temple and someone decided to spray paint one of the walls inside the space. \u201cThat was a huge shock to the community,\u201d Pruhs explains. \u201cIn Taiwan, people tend to be very understanding and respectful, and doing something like that was totally not okay.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"728fa9fe-8b0a-403e-9e01-b3e6011bf592\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1573\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436230.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.51\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"creds to temple meltdown (event organizers)(2)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1043\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436230.jpg\" width=\"1573\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography (@temple_meltdown)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Uploaded as part of his overarching<em> The Scene <\/em>documentary series, which features films on everything from New York subway surfers to warehouse living in Tokyo, the Taiwan temple rave duology is told with a distinctly emotive style. Rose-tinted shots depict party-goers flocking to the remote destinations on mopeds two-by-two, hand-drawn animations of spirits and dragons dance in the background, and one scene even features a 3D recreation of a temple floating through space.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWith <em>The Scene<\/em>, I wanted to create stories with surreal elements in them,\u201d Pruhs explains of this unique direction. \u201cWith the temple raves, I was definitely going for nostalgia, because I\u2019m just so in love with Taiwan and hoped that people would see what a beautiful place it is. With the road trip segment in particular, I was just so in love with this girl, and we were headed on a road trip to one of the temple raves. The feelings in that segment are the feelings that I had after that relationship, looking back on that beautiful experience with her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Pruhs views <em>The Scene <\/em>as both a record of his adventures to look back on when he\u2019s old, as well as a way to give platforms to people who might not otherwise have one. He speaks with excitement about his upcoming videos, one of which will feature what he describes as \u201cthe last flop house on Bowery\u201d in New York City. Watch Pruhs\u2019 full documentary series on his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@sceneunderground\">YouTube channel here<\/a>, and, for a closer look at Taiwan\u2019s temple raves, check out the gallery above.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69555\/1\/in-photos-taiwan-spiritual-temple-raves-bruno-pruhs&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/199-415-2359-1573\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436233.jpg&#8221;] Photography \u5f35\u5bb8\u744b Chenwei Chang February\u00a0 4,\u00a0 2026 Music \/ Scene And Spotted Music \/ Scene And Spotted In pictures: Taiwan\u2019s spiritual temple raves DJs spin hardcore from altars and traditional bachajiang performers dance into the early hours in two new short films from documentarian Bruno Pruhs February\u00a0 4,\u00a0 2026 February\u00a0 4,\u00a0 2026 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1749266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1749266","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1749266"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1749266\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1749266"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1749266"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1749266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}