Followers of Taoist god Cheng Huang in Kinmen County’s Jincheng Township set the Guinness World Record for carrying the longest pedestal May 14.
The pedestal, which had 100 joints and was 176 meters long, moved 1.68 kilometers through the streets on the shoulders of 868 local devotees. The event took five hours to complete and captured headlines throughout the Chinese-speaking world.
Jincheng Township chief Shi Zhao said this is the first time Kinmen has set a Guinness World Record, representing a cultural and historical milestone for the ROC outlying territory. “It is also the first folk activity in Taiwan to receive certification under the name ROC,” he added.
According to Shi, the event was organized by the township and county government to mark the ROC centennial. “Our plan was to use people instead of vehicles to move the pedestal and do something entirely different,” he said.
Anna Louise Orford, a certifier from Guinness, was on hand to witness the event and used an infrared measuring device to ensure all was in order before giving the official thumbs up.
Kinmen’s carrying of the pedestal is part of an annual parade to show city god Cheng Huang around his domain.
(This article first appeared May 15 in The Liberty Times.)