The annual Matsu pilgrimage from Tachia, Taichung County to Hsinkang in Chiayi County and back -- a roundtrip of 280km -- is one of the biggest events in Taiwan's religious calendar. This year, a high level of participation by the Taichung County Government in this folk event has led to the creation of the Matsu Cultural Festival, which kicked off in February.
But the main event is still very much the province of various temple organizations, with all the attendant, rather haphazard and even crazy aspects of popular culture manifesting themselves. And it goes on in an atmosphere of apparent indifference to the increasingly heavy media and tourist presence.
The pilgrimage set out from Tachia's Chenglan Temple (鎮瀾宮) last Sunday. As Sunday became Monday, nearly 24 hours after the pilgrimage had got underway, Nanyao Temple (南瑤宮) in Changhua City was filling up with people waiting for its arrival. "It's always a bit late," said a woman from Yuanlin who had come up Sunday evening to join the procession.
At 4:30am Monday, she and others were still waiting. The progress from Tachia had been particularly slow, with people coming out in force to hold up the procession. The right to touch to the sacred palanquin is prized and, as the procession passes from one area to another, through invisible boundaries known only to locals, there are virtual scrums as a new set of people fight to carry the palanquin.
For the women waiting at Nanyao Temple, dressed in loose, long-sleeved clothing giving them protection from the next day's sun, their towels, thermos flasks, incense and prayer flags all prepared, this meant waiting through the night.
So, during the early hours of Sunday morning, the atmosphere of the temple resembled nothing so much as a bus depot. People were waiting, asking for updates on the possible arrival time of the procession, confused, bemused and weary. "But you really shouldn't say you are tired," pointed out a mold-maker from Changhua. "This is a sacred duty, so people will not be happy if you complain about being tired."
In the courtyards, people tried to get some sleep before heading out again. Slow but inexorable, the procession itself never stops but pilgrims and performers move ahead of the main procession so they can eat and rest. Others, like the women from Yuanlin, join the procession for a day or two. "This afternoon, I have to go to work," one woman said, trying her best to put a good face on the prospect of the long day ahead.
Others, like Ah-chung, a volunteer helper at Nanyao Temple, had closed his business dealing in chicken meat for the duration of the procession. "We kill for a living, you see," said his friend Ah-sheng, only half seriously and as an explanation for his dedication. "It brings you good fortune for the rest of the year," said Ah-chung, adding that he had helped at the temple every year since he was a child. "Taking the time off is worth it."
Taking the time off is one thing. Actually taking part in the eight-day walk is quite another. While the uniformed votive groups were still out in force, made up mostly of middle-aged women, an increasingly large number of people had abandoned walking for either a bicycle or even a scooter. There are even tour groups transported by coach, accommodation booked ahead at temple dormitories, so that they can take part in the major rituals without the tedious and tiring interludes on the road. Compared to previous years, the numbers sleeping on temple floors had fallen significantly.
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