Taiwan’s traditional religious festivities are immersive experiences that continue to evolve with contemporary society.
In April 2025 Dalongdong Baoan Temple in Taipei City’s Datong District hosted its annual Baosheng Cultural Festival to mark the birthday of Baosheng Dadi, the god of medicine, on the 15th day of the third lunar month. At the opening ceremony, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) praised the UNESCO-recognized restoration of the temple, which was originally built in the early 19th century, and highlighted the event’s enduring spiritual meaning and social value. “With its blend of folk belief, cultural customs and tourism appeal, the festival offers great warmth to Taipei residents and enhances Taiwan’s international visibility,” she said. Now more than three decades old, the celebration features fireworks and roaming performers that draw visitors from home and abroad, turning a historic religious observance into a vibrant spectacle.
Baoan Temple’s approach reflects the enduring popularity of urban religious festivals, also seen at Monga Qingshan Temple on Wanhua District’s Guiyang Street, Taipei’s oldest commercial thoroughfare. Last year marked the temple’s 170th anniversary, which coincided with the annual celebration of its main deity Qingshan Wang’s birthday in the 10th lunar month. Co-hosted with local agencies, the latest edition included art exhibitions, guided tours, pop concerts and televised variety shows. International exchange also played a role, with organizers of the Kenkayama festival at Fushiki Shrine in Japan’s Toyama prefecture bringing towering lantern floats to join Qingshan’s nighttime parade. Lin Mao-hsien (林茂賢), an associate professor in the Department of Taiwanese Languages and Literature at National Taichung University of Education, said that such creative programming, arranged in collaboration with the Taipei City Government’s Department of Information and Tourism and the state-backed General Association of Chinese Culture, adds new momentum to Qingshan’s celebrations.
See Devotion
With temples dedicated to a wide array of deities spread across urban neighborhoods and rural communities alike, there is no lack of festivals in the calendar. The third lunar month is especially rich in large-scale events, led by weekslong pilgrimages honoring Mazu, the beloved sea goddess worshipped at more than 1,000 temples nationwide. Her birthday on the 23rd day of the lunar month draws vast crowds onto the roads. Signature events such as the Taichung Mazu International Festival organized by Dajia Jenn Lann Temple in Taichung City, along with pilgrimages associated with Miaoli County’s Baishatun Gongtian Temple, are officially recognized as part of Taiwan’s intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture. Among the country’s 24 designated major folk traditions, several Mazu-related events have been selected by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ Tourism Administration (TA) for focused international promotion in 2026 and 2027.
Upgraded from a bureau in 2023, the TA spotlights Taiwan’s folk cultures by hosting international media visits and launching campaigns that engage social media influencers and public figures. According to the agency, Taiwan’s religious festivals usually offer distinctive, immersive experiences marked by movement, color and collective participation, qualities that give the country its unique character in the global tourism landscape. Lin noted that while many destinations compete through historic sites or natural scenery, Taiwan’s living cultural activities like temple festivals and Mazu pilgrimages appeal to both domestic and overseas visitors.
Lin personally joins these events every year, and students enrolled in his courses on the culture of Taiwan are encouraged to take part. Participation, he emphasized, is cultural rather than doctrinal. Students attend to observe folk customs firsthand and experience the trust and emotional connection shared among participants and local residents, who routinely help one another with food, lodging and transportation along the routes.
Lin also pointed to the close relationship between religion and art. “Much like historic Western churches, temples are composite works of art, featuring paintings, calligraphy, stone and wood carvings, and architecture such as roof ridges adorned with cut ceramic pieces,” he said. “In this sense, temples function as living museums and community centers, where belief is expressed not only through static craftsmanship but also in mobile performances of dance, drama and music.” From a tourism perspective, extended pilgrimages generate wide-ranging economic benefits, supporting guest houses, eateries, transportation services and sales of local agricultural specialties along their paths.
Unexpected Turns
Connections among temples form a nationwide network, reinforced through frequent exchanges. Last November, for example, a statue of Mazu, which believers revere as carrying the spirit of the goddess, traveled from Beigang Chaotian Temple in Yunlin County north by train to Taipei to participate in the Qingshan celebrations, arriving at Wanhua Station to an official welcome from city leaders. Each year Chaotian Temple is also the destination for an over 300-kilometer round trip pilgrimage starting out from Gongtian Temple in Miaoli. The longest journey of its kind in Taiwan, the roughly 10-day trek follows no fixed route. Instead, the path changes annually, guided by divine cues given to the Mazu palanquin bearers, according to devotees.
“Any crossroad could result in a surprising turn,” Lin said, adding that this element of unpredictability has fueled growing interest. In 2025 more than 300,000 pilgrims officially registered with Gongtian, while hundreds of thousands of informal followers accompanied the procession at some point. The scale and distinctive character of the journey have drawn international attention, including coverage by the BBC.
Forms of worship and modes of celebration vary widely by region and season, Lin noted. In southwestern coastal communities such as Donggang Township in Pingtung County, autumn brings elaborate ceremonies welcoming Wang Ye, a deity believed to expel illness and misfortune. Held triennially during the lunar years of the ox, dragon, sheep and dog, the weeklong ritual culminates in the burning of a large, meticulously constructed vessel on the beach, symbolically sending Wang Ye back to heaven after touring the human realm. The ceremony demands extensive preparation and financial resources, which Lin said are accepted for the collective emotional reassurance and continuity it offers local communities.
Evolving Practice
Environmental considerations have increasingly shaped discussions around Taiwan’s temple culture, reflecting broader social awareness. Lin recalled that in the past, the outdoor procession of Dajia Jenn Lann Temple’s Mazu palanquin advanced over layers of spent firecrackers that left little ground visible. Today the volume has been reduced considerably from its former level. Many temples have also significantly cut back on burning incense and paper offerings, resulting in cleaner air while continuing core rituals. These changes, Lin stressed, represent gradual, community-led adaptation rather than legal restraints, allowing traditions to evolve with the times.
The TA views large-scale folk celebrations as a cornerstone of Taiwan’s cultural identity and a defining asset for its tourism brand. A familiar sight at temple festivals is the appearance of the eight generals, whose elaborately painted faces and measured, rhythmic choreography depict the underworld deities charged with capturing malevolent spirits. Taiwanese eight-general groups have performed internationally, including at France’s Nice Carnival, one of the world’s largest folk festivals. Local culture comprises a substantial element in a country’s international tourism appeal, and a high profile in domestic and overseas media ensures that traditions are sustained as they are widely shared. Through raising awareness and offering access to its unique historic spiritual practices, Taiwan ensures the enduring vitality of its cultural landscape.
Write to Pat Gao at cjkao@mofa.gov.tw