Taiwan’s Dajia Mazu completes pilgrimage profecession

台灣大甲媽祖遶境圓滿結束

Record crowds turn out for religious pilgrimage delayed by COVID for two years


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Dajia Mazu Pilgrimmage Procession came to an end this morning, successfully completing a 340km trek which took place over nine days and eight nights.

Billed as one of the world’s three largest religious activities by the Discovery Channel and it is included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, the pilgrimage covers the nearby counties of Taichung, Changhua, Yunlin, and Chiayi.

Throughout the pilgrimage, Mazu is carried in a sedan chair on the shoulders of devotees, with those seeking blessings frequently genuflecting along the route, allowing Mazu to pass over them, imparting a blessing.

Vegetarian food and drink is also freely given along the entire procession route, often sponsored by local businesses eager to seek favor from Mazu.

As Mazu returned to Taichung’s Jenn Lann Temple, the crowd became extremely dense, complicating the procession. Mazu was expected to arrive at the entrance of the Jenn Lann Temple late last night, though her sedan finally entered the temple early this morning.

This year’s pilgrimage attracted a larger crowd as similar events from 2020-2022 were suspended due to the COVID pandemic. The Dajia Mazu Pilgrimmage Procession began on the evening of April 21, visiting many temples in nearby counties.

As Mazu entered her hometown of Taichung’s Dajia District yesterday afternoon, an endless sea of people turned out with free food and drink stations lining the route, with many seeking out one last chance to encounter Mazu.

This year’s pilgrimage procession has been complicated by large crowds and traffic, which delayed the return schedule with Dajia Mazu finally entering Jenn Lann Temple at 0:45 a.m. on Monday (May 1).

Taichung City Deputy Mayor Huang Kuo-jung (黃國榮) and other VIPs participated in a ceremony associated with the seating of Dajia Mazu in her home temple. The scene was briefly chaotic when Dajia Mazu was removed from her sedan chair and devotees rushed forward to touch the statue.

In the end, she was placed on the altar and a brief worship ceremony took place, bringing a fitting ending to this year’s record-setting pilgrimage procession.