Mazu, ‘Goddess of the Sea and Seafarers’, is Taiwan’s patron saint. The round, black-faced deity occupies a position in the local culture comparable to that of the Virgin in Catholic countries, but with one major difference: the Taiwanese worship her with extraordinary fervour. Each year, a mass pilgrimage takes place in which more than 200,000 devotees, brandishing bunches of smouldering incense sticks and yellow pendants emblazoned with dragons and sacred Taoist symbols, trek 217 miles (350km) between key Mazu shrines, following an effigy of the Goddess borne aloft on a golden palanquin. The event is watched by literally millions lining the route, and includes parades, performances of traditional dance and firework displays at each of the temples visited. The stage of the pilgrimage we recommend clients visit to watch the procession, is Changhua. Here, local gangs compete with each other to waylay the Goddess so that she will spend more time in their neighbourhoods, thereby bringing good luck for the coming year. They do this by handing out truck-loads of firecrackers to onlookers, using the din and fog of smoke to force the cortège to stop. On occasions, groups of spirit mediums may also attempt to kidnap Mazu and take her back to their temples.
Elsewhere, troupes of lion dancers, wandering oracles, masked acrobats and scantily clad girls gyrating on electric floats also make appearances. Local people open their garages and gardens to accommodate the legions of footsore pilgrims, who are fed along the pathway with free donations of congee porridge and other revitalizing snacks. The whole atmosphere of the festival is unreservedly generous and joyful, and we highly recommend visiting the island when it is taking place. The precise dates fluctuate, but usually fall in April. Contact one of our specialist consultants for more details.
