The Luermen Tianhou Temple selects its “fairy” Mazu based on divination — only those who get 5 “auspicious cups” will be chosen.

Reported by Zhou Youzheng / Comprehensive report

On December 29, the Luermen Tianhou Temple in Beisanwei, Tainan City, held a “Fairy Selection” event, where the main criterion was “divining with moon blocks” (known as “bo bei” in Taiwanese). The top 8 participants who cast the most auspicious cups (sheng bei) would become fairies, serving as greeters and blessing performers during the Lunar New Year festivities at the temple. Mazu became the ultimate judge, and the fairies were naturally appointed as the divine-endorsed ambassadors of the event.

▲ Participants in the “Fairy Selection” happily take photos with the promotional poster. (Photo provided by the temple)

Chen Qinglin, the general affairs officer of Luermen Tianhou Temple, said that the Fairy Selection has a history of 22 years. Any unmarried woman aged between 18 and 25 with an average build can sign up to participate. As for the final result, it depends on the divination results, “Only Mazu can decide.” In past selection rounds, roughly 40 participants would compete for 8 spots, and contestants needed to cast at least 5 consecutive auspicious cups to meet the minimum selection criteria.

Chen Qinglin pointed out that in addition to selecting fairies, the Junior Ritual Official selection is also an important custom for the temple’s welcoming ceremonies. Youth aged 18 to 35, both male and female, can apply, and the selection method is also through moon block divination — the top 32 participants who cast the most auspicious cups are chosen. In the early days, the fairy and ritual official selections were limited to locally prominent individuals, but in recent years, to promote traditional culture, the age limit has been lowered to attract more young people to participate.

Those selected as fairies can serve as “Fragrant Blessing” attendants from the first to the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, offering blessings to worshippers. Selected junior ritual officials will undergo an “Imperial Conferment Ceremony,” after which they can perform various ancient rituals to welcome deities and offer blessings during the Spring Festival. Chen Qinglin stated, “Although there is no payment for being a fairy or junior ritual official, it is an honor and an unforgettable lifelong memory.”

In conjunction with the “2014 Luermen Tianhou Temple Taiwan Year Culture Spring Tour” event, the divination selection ceremony was held at 9 a.m. on the 29th in the temple courtyard, where the public could witness the birth of the fairies and junior ritual officials in person. For more information about the selection, please contact:The official website of the Beisanwei Luermen Tianhou Templeandthe Facebook fan page.
 

%NaNa? Fresh and stylish, a new highlight for exploring local culture and festive activities (Photo provided by the temple)