In spring each year, Taiwan erupts with colorful festivals honoring Mazu, a deity alternately known as the goddess of the sea or the queen of heaven. The celebrations take place during the third month of the lunar calendar and peak on the 23rd day of that month, Mazu’s birthday. Many of the festivals feature pilgrimages in which statues of Mazu are borne about the countryside on elaborate palanquins. The processions can be massive, month-long affairs with millions of participants, as is the case with the famous Dajia Mazu pilgrimage of Jenn Lann Temple in Taichung, central Taiwan. On the other hand, there are many smaller pilgrimages in which residents of outlying villages carry the Mazu statue from their local temple to a larger, nationally revered temple.
Each year, Chao-Tian Temple in Beigang Township, Yunlin County, southern Taiwan draws a large number of pilgrims on Mazu’s birthday, which fell on April 28 in 2013. In fact, the Ministry of Culture has designated Beigang’s Mazu procession as a national-level folk activity.
Last year, one of the contingents making the pilgrimage to Beigang for Mazu’s birthday hailed from Dalin Township, Chiayi County, southern Taiwan. After stowing their Mazu statue in her own wooden chariot, the villagers drove to Beigang in the morning. Upon arriving and preparing their palanquin, they queued behind residents of other villages who had arrived earlier. All of the pilgrims waited to usher their Mazu palanquin into Chao-Tian, the main temple in Beigang.
As each group reached the front of the temple, firecrackers were set off to signal their arrival. Each village’s palanquin was accompanied by a performance troupe, and each troupe added its own style and flavor to the carnival-like atmosphere. The performers at Chao-Tian ranged from go-go girls to martial artists to walking gods.
Experiencing Mazu’s birthday at Chao-Tian is an assault on the senses. The blaring horns, exploding firecrackers and pounding drums mix together to create a unique soundtrack. One’s eyes take in a scene colored by red firecracker debris as the air is permeated with ash and smoke. With so much activity concentrated on one street, onlookers find themselves constantly distracted.
Later in the day, the pilgrims from Dalin Township made their way home, where they held a final ritual at their local temple. Everything finally wound down as Mazu returned to her customary place and the performance troupe disbanded. Peace and quiet reigned as incense was burned at the temple, signaling that another celebration of Mazu’s birthday had come to an end.
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Steve Kim is a photographer and 3-D animator based in Taipei. He is also busy with swing dancing and drawing.
Copyright © 2014 by Steve Kim
During the celebration of Mazu’s birthday at Beigang’s Chao-Tian Temple, the air is constantly filled with ash and confetti. So much debris falls to the ground that a group of sweepers is employed to keep the area navigable. (Photo by Steve Kim)
Visitors to Beigang’s Mazu celebration protect their ears from the deafening sound of firecrackers as they feel the heat of the explosions and avoid a plume of smoke billowing up from behind. (Photo by Steve Kim)
On the day of the festival, members of a performance troupe make their way to the trucks that will take them to Beigang. Despite the rain from the previous day, the weather is beginning to clear up on the morning of Mazu’s birthday. (Photo by Steve Kim)
The faces of devotees are blackened by smoke and ash produced by firecrackers, which are set off to welcome the arrival of Mazu. (Photo by Steve Kim)
Mazu statues, ceremoniously dressed for the pilgrimage, are brought from area villages to Chao-Tian Temple. (Photo by Steve Kim)
The long-sustained sound of a horn team heralds the approach of a Mazu from a smaller temple. (Photo by Steve Kim)