Taiwan's major presidential hopefuls spent the first day of the Year of the Dragon in search of divine intervention -- and important face time with the public -- at temples across the country yesterday.
According to Taiwan-ese tradition, the first person to place his or her stick of burning incense into the temple's censer on the first day of the new year will have protection from the goddess Matsu in the coming year.
Now, at the start of a hotly contested election year, candidates raced one another to Taiwan's most important temples in search of some otherworldly help for their campaigns and some extra votes from their traditional supporters before the March 18 presidential elections.
Taipei's Hsingtien Kung (
DPP presidential candidate Chen Shui-bian (
"I hope to have the chance to work hard for you. Your problems and your difficulties are A-bian's difficulties," Chen told crowds of his supporters at Lungshan Temple (
At Hsingtien Kung, Vice President Lien pressed the flesh with temple devotees, lit incense and distributed red envelopes.
When asked what his wishes for the new year were, Lien wasted little time with his answer.
"First, I wish for peace in the country. Second, I hope everyone is healthy, happy and prosperous in the new year. And third, I hope that Lien Chan and [KMT vice presidential candidate] Vincent Siew (
Chen Wan-shui (
She wished health and prosperity to the people of Taiwan, particularly residents of areas struck by the 921 earthquake. When the cameras remained in place, she repeated her wishes.
James Soong, accompanied by former legislative speaker Liu Sung-fan (
The president of the board at the temple, Yen Chin-piao (顏清標), treated Soong and his entourage to lunch, after which Liu quipped: "Yen said he had asked the goddess Matsu who he should support, and she said it should be Soong."
Yen organizes frequent visits of Matsu devotees to temples in China's Fujian Province, and is widely believed to control the religious vote in central Taiwan.
Later, Soong was expected to visit Tachia township's Chihnan Kung -- but not before stopping off at the home of former Control Yuan head and KMT maverick Lin Yang-kang (林洋港) for two hours of talks that Soong later said had focused on cross-strait relations.
Siew, meanwhile, returned to his native Chiayi yesterday for the opening ceremony of a newly refurbished temple.
Siew's wishes for the new year were all political. "I hope the new year brings a smooth election and allows us to continue to serve and lead the country," he said.
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