From "March Mad Mazu" to "Life Preservation Cultural Festival": Experience the Cultural Genes of Taiwan's Traditional Belief in Customs
2023-05-04
Cigarettes curled up, firecrackers sounded, and millions of believers from all directions participated in the pilgrimage. The journey lasted for about 340 kilometers and lasted for 9 days and 8 nights, passing through over 100 Mazu temples in four counties and cities. Many people were lying on the ground "drilling sedans" for good luck... This is a photo taken on April 15th of the Da Long Dong Security Palace in Taipei City. Xinhua News Agency reporter Shang Hao took photos of the largest religious event in Taiwan - the Lantong Mazu Incense Tour in Dajia Town, Taichung City, which started on the 21st and has come to an end after experiencing scenes of prosperity. Mazu, originally named Lin Mo, was a legendary woman from Meizhou, Putian in the early Song Dynasty. According to legend, Mazu was revered as the "Goddess of the Sea" for aiding the poor and rescuing shipwrecks. The Mazu faith followed the ancestors across the sea and arrived in Taiwan. Today, there are over 10 million Mazu believers in Taiwan, and there are over 800 Mazu temples with larger scales. According to legend, Mazu's birthday falls on the 23rd day of the third lunar month. Around this day, lively pilgrimage activities were held in Mazu temples across Taiwan, known vividly as the "March Mad Mazu". The reporter saw at the scene of Mazu's pilgrimage tour that residents along the way killed chickens, slaughtered ducks, and provided free food for believers; The express delivery company provides services to help believers send and exchange laundry items home; The police escort the activity all the way; Technology companies have launched mobile applications and satellite positioning services to enable participants to check the real-time location of Mazu sedans... Behind all this is people's sincere belief in Mazu. Mazu's visit is expected to bring good weather. Due to the lifting of the epidemic this year, over a million believers participated in the event, "said Zheng Mingkun, president of the Taiwan Mazu Friendship Association and vice chairman of Zhenlan Palace. The New Taipei citizens who participated in the incense ceremony, Shi Chang, were deeply impressed by the strong humanistic atmosphere along the way. Some farmers and villagers rushed to become volunteers, and even couldn't even change their work clothes to join the procession of welcoming hikers. These local residents are selfless and respected, "he said. In the eyes of many people, the "Journey to Incense" activity is a "course" to promote Mazu's great virtues and care for and support each other: "It's really fulfilling, feeling human touch", "Strangers can also chat easily because they are all Mazu believers"... In Taipei, another religious activity is also lively. On the 23rd, the largest annual religious event in northern Taiwan, the "Baosheng Cultural Festival," kicked off at the Bao'an Palace in Dalongdong, Taipei City, to celebrate the birth of the Baosheng Emperor, whom many people in Fujian and Taiwan believe in, and to promote and inherit traditional culture. This is the 30th year of the event. The legend of Emperor Baosheng was originally a famous doctor named Wu Zhenren from Quanzhou, Fujian during the Song Dynasty. He had exquisite medical skills, was kind to the world, and was deeply loved. For many Taipei citizens, the "Life Preservation Cultural Festival" that will continue until June 19th is not only a religious event, but also a "carnival" to experience traditional culture. People enjoy activities such as walking on the streets, concerts, "family name dramas," releasing fire lions, and folk art troupes, returning to tradition and experiencing the timing and rhythm of ancestral life. The climax of the event is the ceremony of releasing the Fire Lion, which will be held on the evening of May 3rd, symbolizing the Great Emperor of Baosheng's efforts to eliminate epidemics and protect the health and safety of all beings. We hope to innovate and let everyone know more about the diversity and richness of traditional folk culture, "said Liao Wuzhi, Chairman of Baoan Palace. Li Feng, a religious scholar in the island and a professor of the former Political University
Edit：Luo yu Responsible editor：Wang xiao jing
Source：xinhuaNet
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