At Copenhagen Pride, Team Taiwan introduces Tu’er Shen, often known in English as the Rabbit God—a folk deity associated with love between people of the same gender.

Tu’er Shen’s story comes from Chinese-language folk tradition and has developed a special cultural presence in Taiwan. Today, he is often embraced as a symbol of queer love, emotional courage and the hope that every relationship can be treated with dignity and respect.

Tu’er Shen is not part of one single, universally practised religious tradition. His meaning has evolved through folklore, community memory and contemporary LGBTQ+ culture. For many people, he represents a simple but powerful idea:

Love deserves recognition, protection and blessing.

The Tu’er Shen costume presented by Taiwanese Association Denmark is a contemporary artistic interpretation created for Copenhagen Pride.

The design combines several visual traditions:

• rabbit ears inspired by Tu’er Shen’s identity;

• an elaborate headpiece influenced by Taiwanese opera;

• pink base, rainbow beads and pearls representing LGBTQ+ diversity;

• colorful hair roots and dragon ornaments represent the warrior fighting for human rights;

• contemporary footwear and dress, connecting tradition with modern life.

This is not intended as a reproduction of a historical religious costume. It is a new Taiwanese cultural creation that brings folk tradition, performing arts and Pride together.

Taiwanese opera, also known as 歌仔戲 kua-á-hì, is one of Taiwan’s most distinctive performing arts. Its costumes and headpieces use colour, ornament and movement to make characters visible even from a distance.

By combining Taiwanese opera aesthetics with Tu’er Shen and rainbow imagery, the costume presents Taiwanese culture as something living—not frozen in the past, but open to reinterpretation and dialogue.