Pilgrims prepare for first direct sailing to mainland but MAC remains chilly

An estimated 7,000 pilgrims may make the first direct legal journey to China since 1949 with the blessing of the sea goddess Matsu (媽祖) and the cooperation of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) next month, Yen Ching-piao (顏清標), chairman of the Chen Lan Temple (鎮瀾宮), said yesterday.

After throwing prophetic divining cups on the ground, Yen said Matsu had indicated July 16 as an ideal day to embark on the first direct sea pilgrimage to the Meizhou Temple (湄洲媽祖廟) in Fujian Province.

"We are very grateful that the Mainland Affairs Council has responded quickly to our request ... the Chinese authorities have also been very supportive of the initiative," Yen said.

He said the Chinese government has agreed to issue visas upon arrival instead of requiring the "Taiwan compatriot's travel document" (台胞證), a special permit issued in advance by the Chinese government for Taiwan citizens who wish to travel to China.

Yen also said that accommodation would not be a problem for the 7,000 worshippers descending on Meizhou next month.

Mainland Affairs Council Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) pledged last week to devise a plan within one month for direct boat services for the Matsu pilgrimage, which peaks with the Sea Goddess' Ascension Day in September.

Tsai was in Kinmen over the weekend with Defense Minister Wu Shih-wen (伍世文) to discuss the national security issues involved in opening the "small three links." Suggestions were raised by lawmakers that pilgrims could make the trip under the auspices of the recently passed law Outlying Islands Development Law, which allows for direct links between Kinmen, Penghu, Matsu and China.

Authorities at the Chen Lan Temple have already submitted a request for the trip to the MAC, as well as the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the Taichung Harbor Bureau.

The proposed route would take worshippers from Taichung via Kinmen or Penghu to Matsu's legendary birthplace of Meizhou Island.

If approved, the trip would be the first legal, direct passage of a vessel across the Taiwan Strait since 1949.

But Chen Ming-tong (陳明通), MAC vice chairman , said yesterday that the Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation must first discuss the opening of the "small three links" with its Chinese counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Strait before a direct sea service could be opened.

"National security is our biggest concern ... we hope to find a framework for the opening of the links within six months," Chen said.

He declined to answer whether the direct sailing of pilgrims to Meizhou would be possible next month.

Official estimates suggest that up to 100,000 pilgrims from Taiwan travel each year to the temple to attend celebrations commemorating Matsu's birthday. Because of Taiwan's ban on direct sea links with China, the pilgrims have just two choices if they are to go to Meizhou. They can either go with the cheaper option of sailing illegally by fishing boat to Fujian, or otherwise travel through Hong Kong to Fujian.

But sea passage across the Taiwan Strait is often dangerous, particularly during the peak months of the pilgrimage between May and September.