Foreign students learning Chinese earlier this month joined hundreds of thousands of people on the annual Dajia Matsu pilgrimage.
The 330km journey from Taichung’s Dajia District’s (大甲) Jenn Lann Temple (大甲鎮瀾宮) to Feng Tian Temple in Chiayi County’s Singang Township (新港) and back takes about nine days.
The opportunity gave the students, all of whom are studying at Feng Chia University in Taichung, a chance to experience Taiwanese culture and learn more about local religious activities and their importance to Taiwanese, they said.
“I was really shocked when I saw many people participate in the pilgrimage,” said Hayato Wong, a 30-year-old student from the US.
“It was a special experience,” Wong said.
It was not only a cultural experience, but also offered an opportunity to improve his Chinese-language skills, he added.
Wong was among more than 100 students from 24 countries who participated in the so-called “Matsu frenzy while learning Chinese,” which was organized by the Ministry of Education and the university.
Students had to learn simple words or sentences in Chinese and Taiwanese to interact with people in the Matsu procession. The students joined the procession on April 9 and walked for about 4km.
Some of the students had the opportunity to “crouch under Matsu’s palanquin,” a ritual that followers believe is a blessing from the Taoist goddess, who is said to protect fisherman and sailors.
“It was the most impressive experience of the activity,” Wong said, who crouched under the palanquin.
The activity taught the students a lot about how Taiwanese worship the goddess, student Sadnam Singh said.
Singh said he followed local devotees and lay down on the road to let Matsu pass over him in order to receive a blessing.
Marine Abodi, a 31-year-old from France, said participating in the activity was not only fun, but educational.
She was impressed to see so many followers, including elderly people, running to touch the statue of Matsu to receive a blessing, she said.
Abodi said she was impressed by Taiwanese warmth and kindness, with some people offering them free drinks, she said.
This year was the first time the ministry helped foreign students gain the opportunity to join the Matsu pilgrimage.
“The idea was to help foreign students learn the language while experiencing local culture firsthand,” the ministry said.
It is part of the ministry’s “learning Chinese from everyday life,” initiative, which encourages students to take part in local cultural and festive activities while studying the language.
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