Written/Compiled and Reported by Chen Guanxin
The 2012 Taichung Mazu International Tourism Culture Festival Series – Mazu Culture Expo, will be held from March 23 to April 29 at the Taichung Cultural and Creative Industries Park. This event not only gathers eight major temples in Taichung City to join in the celebration, but also allows the public to experience the Mazu procession as if they were really there through virtual reality animations. Moreover, registration for the “Mazu Belief Culture Special Bus” opened on the 23rd, with on-board guides leading participants to visit the expo and historic Mazu temples.
Q-version Mazu, Qianliyan (Thousand-Mile Eye), and Shunfeng’er (Ear That Hears the Wind) character figurines appeared at the expo, adding a lively touch to the event. (Photo provided by Taichung City Cultural Affairs Bureau)
The Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage is one of the three largest religious events in the world. This year’s Mazu Culture Expo brings together for the first time eight major temples in Taichung City: the Dajia Zhenlan Temple, Wuci Haotian Temple, Fengyuan Ciji Temple, Shekou Wanxing Temple, Hanxi Lecheng Temple, Nantun Wanhe Temple, Dadu Wanxing Temple, and Xinshè Jiuzhuang Mazu. The event features four main themes: “Two Hundred Years of Temple Grandeur,” “Creative Parade Troupes with New Fun,” “Five Senses Experience Talking about Mazu,” and “New Imagery in Mazu Cultural Creativity.” Among them, the “Five Senses Experience Talking about Mazu” utilizes interactive multimedia technology and virtual reality animations to let visitors experience the Mazu pilgrimage and incense offering process as if they were on-site.
The “Mazu Belief Culture Special Bus” will open for public registration at 9 AM on Friday, March 23. Starting Saturday, March 24, buses will primarily run on Saturdays and Sundays, with supplementary weekday departures. There are six routes and 30 bus trips in total, offering 1,200 spots. On-board guides will introduce the expo and six Mazu temples with over 200 years of history: Wuci Haotian Temple, Dajia Zhenlan Temple, Nantun Wanhe Temple, Hanxi Lecheng Temple, Fengyuan Ciji Temple, and Shekou Wanxing Temple. The activity is completely free of charge. Registration can be done by phone, fax, or online. For details, please visit the event website mazubus.35map.com or the Taichung City Government Cultural Affairs Bureau website www.culture.taichung.gov.tw. For inquiries, call 04-2535-2017 or 04-2534-4471.
In addition, the large-scale TV gala “The Light of Mazu • Shining Everywhere” will be held tomorrow evening (22nd) at 7 PM at the Dajia Stadium in Taichung City, inviting representatives from nearly 6,000 Heavenly Queen Temples around the world to gather in Dajia. The gala will be hosted by Wu Zongxian and feature performances by cross-strait celebrities such as Show Lo, Ella, A-Lin, Wang Feng, and the MIC boy band. The event will also be open to the public for free participation.
● Extended Reading: Donggang King Welcoming Special Exhibition – Pure Gold Dragon Robe Appears at Taichung National Science and Technology Museum
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