In fall of 1998 & 1999, I went with a group of ladies to a Taoist temple during the Festival of the 9 Emperor Gods. Although most Chinese are Buddhists now, they still follow the Taoist traditions just in case. The festival takes its name from the myth of 9 guardians sent from heaven to protect the people, but the Emperor of China became jealous of their popularity, lured them to his palace, cut off their heads and threw them in the river. They believe that once a year the spirits come up from the water and inhabit the temple for 9 days. People bring food to the temple to be blessed. The turtles above are made from bread and covered in red dye. I had temporarily gotten lost from the group and bought my turtles from an elderly lady, figuring I was doing the right thing, but not knowing what I would be praying for. The two characters on the backs of the turtles say peace (they’re in the right order—I had to ask a Chinese friend). I also donated to the temple to receive a blessing for my family, the yellow ribbon and papers symbolize that gift. Most people wear their yellow ribbons year-round on the zipper of a backpack or bag. The temple uses the money to care for the poor. The green ring is made of Jade and the black bracelet is made of coconut. Taoists believe that ancestral spirits inhabit everything around us, so that if a child pees on a bush and upsets the spirit there, the child will be punished in some way unless he or someone else prays for his forgiveness. Jade and coconut are worn to protect the body from harmful spirits.