Taiwan’s Baishatun Matsu Pilgrimmage begins

台灣白沙屯媽祖繞境開始

113,000 pilgrims accompany Baishatun Matsu on 9-day procession


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Baishatun Matsu pilgrimage officially began at 1:25 a.m. on Sunday (Feb. 12), marking the start of a nine-day, 300-kilometer trip which will lead the deity to the Beigang Chaotian Temple in Yunlin County before returning it home.

“This year, 113,221 people signed up for the pilgrimage, an increase of 25%,” said Gong Tian Temple Chairperson, Hung Wen-hua (洪文華). The large turnout makes this one of the biggest Matsu pilgrimages in Taiwan.

The event began three days ago with a special flag raising ceremony, calling upon pilgrims to prepare themselves by commencing a vegetarian diet, according to PTS.

Crowds began packing the area around Miaoli County’s Gong Tian Temple, creating a rowdy scene both inside and outside of the temple as devotees were eager to accompany Baishatun Matsu’s distinctive “pink sedan chair” before it departed.

Signifying the importance of this pilgrimage, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) both visited Gong Tian Temple, offering incense and praying for blessings a day earlier on Saturday (Feb. 11).

Going a step further, or perhaps many steps, was former Taipei Mayor and current Taiwan People's Party Chair Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who has signed up to participate in the entire nine-day, eight-night pilgrimage, according to UDN.

When Matsu’s sedan chair ultimately set off at 1:25 a.m., there was great excitement amplified by the sound of gongs and fireworks. With that, tens of thousands joined the procession from the temple.

Along the way, many devotees kneeled on the ground, expressing their devotion to the deity.

Gong Tian Temple authorities continue to encourage pilgrims to wear face masks during the event and observe social distancing when possible. Also, devotees should take precautions regarding weather as the temperature difference between night and day can be quite large.

The Baishtun Matsu Pilgrimage has a history of approximately 200 years. The date when the pilgrimage begins is determined by tossing “moon blocks.”

Another important feature of the pilgrimage is the unpredictability of the route, which is not fixed, but instead led by Matsu’s sedan chair.

The only fixed points on the itinerary are the departure and return from Gong Tian Temple, and the arrival at Beigang’s Chao Tian Temple, which is estimated to be on Friday (Feb. 17). The conclusion of the pilgrimage is estimated to be around 4:00 p.m. on Feb. 20.