Piercing the cheeks with a long needle, walking blindfolded, holding burning incense in the mouth, or transforming into drunken Jigong, the birthday of the Third Prince Nezha every year brings spirit-mediums from temples all over to come to offer their prayers and display their spiritual prowess. It is truly an eventful gathering of spirit-mediums. (Chuang Kung-ju)

On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, the birthday of the Princely Lord Nezha is celebrated. Beginning in the second half of the eighth lunar month, incense associations from all over Taiwan make a pilgrimage to the most magnificent of temples dedicated to Nezha, Sanfeng Temple in Kaohsiung, as well as Kaichi Temple in Hsinying. Two or three days before the celebration of the god's birthday, devotional activities reach a climax. These rites are the grandest of the popular religious festivals of the latter half of the year.

Moreover, the Princely Lord's unbending integrity, divine form as a child, and childish impulsiveness attract spirit-mediums from all over to come and vie with each other in their spirit-summoning and in acts of courage.

On the eve of the ninth day of the ninth month, all of Sanfeng Temple seems like a coliseum of competing spirit-mediums.

One of them, red-faced as if inebriated, and garbed in the patched robes of the monk known as Jigong (Crazy Ji), holds a palm fan in one hand and a gourd of wine in the other as he staggers up the steps to Sanfeng Temple. Off to one side, a female spirit-medium from another temple wears the green garb of a traditional heroine and imitates the posture of the Third Prince (Nezha) treading a wheel of wind and fire. With one hand upraised, she bounds up the 21 stairs to the temple on her right foot, all in one go.

Inside the main temple hall, a junior high school girl induces dry heaves while a companion waves three sticks of burning incense in front of her nose. It is said that this "consuming of the incense" enhances communication with the gods and accelerates a person's entry into a state of receptivity to the spirits. "What's the matter? Is it not 'catching?' Why don't you let her ingest the smoke from 36 incense sticks at once, to make things go faster?" Despite these words from bystanders, the young girl's companion replies, "We can't do that because that would be too strong a dose of incense smoke. We just have to take it slowly."

Suddenly, a spirit-medium in his 70s falls with a crash to the ground. He begins to kick his legs, fuss, and make childish sounds. "The Princely Lord has descended. Quick, bring the pacifier!" Now with pacifier, the old spirit-medium begins to giggle.

A pilgrim shouts, "Three spirit-mediums in the hallways have also started to act up!" The crowds begin to throng into the already packed corridors of the temple.

The three spirit-mediums nod their heads fiercely to the enthusiastic accompaniment of gong and drum. Their companions let them ingest the smoke from incense braziers. The spirit-mediums enter into a trance. One of them takes up the burning incense and passes it before his face and over his body. Elderly women looking on cry out in alarm, "Oh! You'll burn yourself to death!" Another of the mediums allows his companion to pierce his cheeks with a 60-centimeter needle. Finally, yet another of the spirit-mediums takes up a sharktooth saw and fiercely hacks away at his backside, the blood dripping down drop by drop....