The Mazu Culture Festival: 23 Mazu Temples Parade Through Taipei

Written/Compiled and Reported by Li Xinyi, MOOK Travel Life Network

Since 2004, Taipei City has held an annual folk event to welcome back the golden-faced Heavenly Sacred Mother statue (originally enshrined in the Qing Dynasty government-sponsored Taipei Prefecture Tianhou Temple, now relocated to Xiaojilong Fucheng Temple in Sanzhi District, New Taipei City). This year’s “Northern Taiwan Mazu Culture Festival” folk culture event is hosted by Keelung Qing’an Temple, kicking off on October 6 and continuing in both Taipei City and Keelung City.

On the morning of October 6 (Saturday) at 9:00 AM, in front of the North Gate along Yanping South Road, following the ancient ceremonial protocols of official worship from the past, performances including lively northern-style traditional music by youth groups, solemn processional guards, banners bearing the successive imperial titles bestowed upon Mazu, elegant southern-style classical music, and refined traditional ethnic dances will lead the procession. The event will welcome back the “golden-faced Mazu” statue originally enshrined in the Qing Dynasty Taipei Prefecture Tianhou Temple and the deities from 23 participating temples as they pass through the North Gate back into Taipei City. They will then parade back to the former site of the Taipei Prefecture Tianhou Temple (the plaza in front of the National Taiwan Museum within 228 Peace Park) to hold commemorative ceremonies and cultural performances.

It is expected that at 3:00 PM on October 6, Keelung Qing’an Temple will escort Mazu to Keelung for a one-week stay, and from October 7 to 12 during Mazu’s stay at Keelung Qing’an Temple, events such as “Blessing Dharma Assemblies” and “Folk Art and Cultural Performances” will be held. On the morning of October 13, a ceremony to start the incense pilgrimage will be held in downtown Keelung. It is anticipated that over 5,000 participants from temple parade troupes and worshippers will take part in a grand street parade and ritual circuit that day.

Additionally, the welcoming ceremony on October 6 will specially invite Xingang Fengtian Temple in Chiayi to bring the unique “Mazu Treasure Ship (Kaitai Mazu)” — an ancient-style, full-sized sailboat — which recently completed a swimming feat across Sun Moon Lake in early September and is the only one of its kind in Taiwan. The ship will join the street parade in a rare land-based boat procession in the Taipei area. In addition to supporting the grandeur of the event, it also carries a blessing concept of “setting sail with favorable winds” to pray for blessings for Taipei City.

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