"Matsu is everywhere" for festival

This article was published by the Taiwan Headlines on March 14, 2006. It features the annual eight-day pilgrimage in honor of Matsu, Goddess of the Sea, which will start in Dajia Township in central Taiwan's Taichung County on March 25. Matsu is one of Taiwan's most venerated deities.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to join the 280-kilometer procession, which will pass through Taichung, Changhua, Yulin and Chiayi counties. They will visit about 80 temples.

According to officials from the Taichung County Government, the religious festival this year is bigger and better than ever. There will be an increased number of shows from local and international performers, which will make the event even more exciting and appealing to young people and tourists.

During the festival, there will be an exhibition of Matsu statues and garments in Dajia Township. Other traditional activities will also take place at various locations in Taichung County, including dragon and lion dances, folk performances, martial arts exhibitions and acrobatics.

The pilgrimage will depart from Zhenlan Temple in Dajia Township on March 25. It will be led by a messenger who wears one sandal and holds an umbrella. The messenger only wears one sandal to show that he is oblivious to his own comfort when he serves Matsu. From his umbrella there will also be a pig's foot dangling. The messenger will be followed b a spectacular procession of flag and incense bearers, bands, troupes dressed in ancient army costumes, goddess puppets and traditional musicians.

As the pilgrimage progresses, followers often seek a blessing from the goddess by kneeling before the Matsu palanquin and letting it pass over them. Firecrackers will be let off everywhere.

The theme of this year's festival is "Matsu is everywhere". Three mascots will represent the goddess and her two celestial followers - Qian Li Yan, who can see for 1,000 miles, and Shun Feng Er, who hears everything carried on the wind. The festival is generally considered as the biggest and most significant religious event in Taiwan.