Crazy Mazu Mania!“The Dajia Mazu” sets off on April 6th for a 9-day parade

BigDajia Mazu Parade. (Photo / from the DajiaChenlan Temple Facebook fan page)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Mazu fever in the third lunar month!“The Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage and Incense Offering,” ranked among the world’s top three religious events, has this year’s parade date confirmed by temple officials after divining Mazu’s will—it will set off at 11 PM on April 6th in the Gregorian calendar, lasting nine days and eight nights. Currently, the Taichung City Cultural Affairs Bureau is also hosting the “Mazu International Tourism and Culture Festival,” with eight century-old temples participating together, marking the official kickoff of “Mazu Mania.”

Dajia Mazu Parade. (Photo / from the Dajia Chenlan Temple Facebook fan page)

Chenlan Temple, following tradition, divined Mazu’s will to determine this year’s parade start time. Notably, the first divination result this year was a sacred sign, causing an amazed reaction among the on-site crowd. The temple then promptly announced that “The Dajia Mazu” will begin her southern journey on the night of the first day of the third lunar month (i.e., 11 PM on April 6th in the Gregorian calendar)—the first time in recent years that the departure falls on a Sunday night—with an expected return on April 15th in the Gregorian calendar.

Chenlan Temple stated that after the parade departs, the entourage will stay overnight at Changhua’s Nanyao Temple on the 7th, Xiluo’s Fuxing Temple on the 8th, and Xingang’s Fengtian Temple on the 9th and 10th. On the return trip, they will stay at Xiluo’s Fuxing Temple on the 11th, Beidou’s Dian’an Temple on the 12th, Changhua City’s Tianhou Temple on the 13th, and Qingshui’s Chaoxing Temple on the 14th, before finally returning to Chenlan Temple on the evening of the 15th.

During the Dajia Mazu Parade, many devotees line up to “crawl under the palanquin.” (Photo / from the Dajia Chenlan Temple Facebook fan page)

The Dajia Mazu Parade spans four counties and cities, covering a total distance of over 300 kilometers, attracting approximately 1.5 to 2 million participants each year. The Taichung City Cultural Affairs Bureau has also launched the “2014 Taichung Mazu International Tourism and Culture Festival” series of events, with this year’s main theme being creative content submissions. With five creative categories—LINE stickers, animation, microfilms, comics, and picture books—participants are encouraged to create works themed around the origins, stories, and features of major Mazu temples in the city, with total prize money reaching nearly NT$10 million.

For details on the “2014 Taichung Mazu International Tourism and Culture Festival” events and creative work submissions, please contactthe Taichung City Cultural Affairs Bureau website.