Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
last mo.

Taiwan BTS Fans Pray at Longshan Temple for Concert Tickets

Fans use purple offerings, written wishes at Bangka Longshan Temple to seek seats after demand for ARIRANG tour shows far outstripped supply

Temple
Offerings of snacks with BTS merchandise, concert seat maps and wish lists are seen on an altar table for Yue Lao, the god of love in Chinese mythology who oversees relationships and marriage, at Taipei’s Bangka Lungshan Temple, in hopes of securing a concert ticket, in Taipei, Taiwan, May 30, 2026. REUTERS/Ann Wang
K-pop fans, mostly BTS fans, lay out snacks, group merchandise, concert seat maps and wish lists on an altar table as they pray to Yue Lao, the god of love in Chinese mythology who oversees relationships and marriage, at Taipei’s Bangka Lungshan Temple, in hopes of securing a concert ticket, in Taipei, Taiwan, May 30, 2026. REUTERS/Ann Wang
A BTS fan holds snacks, group merchandise, concert seat maps and a wish list as she prays to Yue Lao, the god of love in Chinese mythology who oversees relationships and marriage, at Taipei’s Bangka Lungshan Temple, in hopes of securing a concert ticket, in Taipei, Taiwan, May 30, 2026. REUTERS/Ann Wang

Overview

  • Over the weekend, groups of BTS supporters visited Taipei’s centuries-old Bangka Longshan Temple and placed purple-packaged snacks, merchandise and concert seat maps on altar tables while praying to Yue Lao, the Taoist god of love.
  • Fans say the practice grew from social-media trends and rests on the belief that Yue Lao’s ‘red thread of fate’ can match them with available seats for the ARIRANG World Tour.
  • Temple chairman Lin Pei-huo has welcomed the visitors and suggested they provide detailed idol information during prayers to help make wishes specific.
  • BTS announced the ARIRANG World Tour in early 2026 and will play three Kaohsiung shows on Nov. 19, 21 and 22, a schedule that plus the group’s long absence has driven intense ticket competition in Taiwan.
  • The ritual blends pop-fandom symbolism with traditional religion and could shape how fans coordinate online and offline efforts for scarce cultural events, with some devotees sharing anecdotal claims of past success after praying.