The annual Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage began in Miaoli County early Sunday, with more than 110,000 worshippers set to attend the nine-day event, one of the largest annual religious processions in Taiwan.

According to the organizers, a record 113,000 people have signed up to take part in this year’s procession.

As in previous years, the Mazu statue from Gongtian Temple at Baishatun in Tongxiao Township of Miaoli County will be put in a palanquin and taken on a procession to visit another Mazu temple — Chaotian Temple in Beigang Township, Yunlin County.

The total distance traveled during the nine-day, eight-night journey between Baishatun and Beigang is approximately 400 kilometers.

Both President Tsai Ing-wen (???) and Vice President Lai Ching-te (???) attended pre-procession rituals Saturday to pray for good fortune for Taiwan, including an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, while Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je (???) registered to join the pilgrimage for the first time.

Fireworks and firecrackers were set off after the departure of the Mazu statue in a palanquin at 1:25 a.m. Sunday, with worshippers following the deity and chanting “I love you Mazu.”

The pilgrimage, held annually for more than 200 years, is one of the two most important Mazu pilgrimages in Taiwan. The other is the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage, which travels from Jenn Lann Temple in Taichung’s Dajia District to Fengtian Temple in Xingang Township, Chiayi County.

This year, Baishatun Mazu is scheduled to arrive at the Yunlin temple on Feb. 17, where a fire will be lit for worshipers to take back to the Miaoli temple.

The Baishatun Mazu procession will begin the return journey on the same day to make it back to Miaoli on Feb. 20.

The Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage was designated as a national intangible cultural asset in 2010, and chosen by the Ministry of the Interior in 2013 as one of the 100 top religious sights in Taiwan.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel