On April 28, Chiayi County’s Singang Fengtian Temple, which worships “the first Matsu idol” in Taiwan, held a grand celebration ceremony to mark the goddess’ 1,057th birthday and her 395th year in Taiwan. The ceremony, which revived the worshiping rites from the Qing dynasty, featured more than 200 dancers, marshals, instrumental performers and singers. Notably, some of the dancers, who were all female students from National Singang Senior High School of Arts, were godchildren of Matsu. In front of the goddess, the students performed the six-fold formation dance representing the beautiful nurturing spirit of Matsu.
Fengtian Temple Chairman He Ta-huang says that the temple has consulted a Qing Dynasty encyclopedia on ceremonial rites, and completely reproduced the worshiping rites and six-fold formation dance from the days of the Qing dynasty Emperor Kangxi for Matsu’s anniversary celebration. The six-fold formation dance is performed with 36 dancers forming six rows and six columns. In the past, the dance was performed to pay respect to feudal vassals and ministers.
In the evening of April 29, Fengtian Temple held a music festival to celebrate Matsu’s birthday, and invited famous singers to perform before the goddess. The event, which took place in front of the temple’s visitor’s building, also featured lottery games, with a sedan car as its main prize.(Liberty Times, translated by Yu-an Tu)
Photo: Yu Hsueh-lan, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者余雪蘭
嘉義縣新港奉天宮慶祝「開台媽祖」駐台三百九十五年暨一千零五十七年誕辰，四月二十八日舉行祝壽大典，復刻清代祀典科儀，由二百多名佾生、禮生、樂生及唱生演繹，其中佾生由新港藝術高中女學生擔任，部分佾生還是媽祖的契子，她們獻跳六佾舞，展現媽祖母性柔美的精神。
奉天宮董事長何達煌表示，廟方考據大清禮儀彙典，完整重現清康熙年間欽賜祀典禮儀與六佾舞為媽祖祝壽。六佾舞為六行六列，共三十六人，是古時用來祭拜諸侯及宰相的儀式。
奉天宮四月二十九日晚上則在香客大樓前，舉行媽祖慶生歌星演唱會，邀請知名歌星獻唱，並進行摸彩活動，最大獎為轎車。(自由時報記者余雪蘭、王善嬿)
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