Every three years, hundreds, if not thousands, of people gather on a beach in Donggang, Pingtung County. They’re there for a whole night, to watch the ritual burning of a fully seaworthy and functional traditional sailing junk, created especially for the ceremony.
The boat burning marks the end of a week of events — often in October — that begins when five deities known as Wangye, or royal lords, arrive in Donggang from across the sea.
The week starts with the Wangye being called down to earth and welcomed in an elaborate ceremony on the same beach. Spirit mediums offer their bodies up for possession by the Wangye to be able to communicate with them and determine who is who. This is done so they can identify their leader, the identity of whom was determined in a ceremony at the temple the day before.
Photo: Perry Svensson, Taipei Times
照片：台北時報記者蘇沛攝
The burning of the boat is the grand sending off of the Wangye, who will return again three years later, and the week’s religious events and rituals are intended to cleanse the area around Donggang of evil and disease for the next three years.
The next boat burning in Donggang will take place next year. The date will, as always, be determined after divine consultations at the Donglong Temple in Donggang.
(Perry Svensson, Taipei Times)
Photo: Perry Svensson, Taipei Times
台北時報記者蘇沛攝
每三年一次，屏東縣的東港海邊聚集成千上百的民眾，他們在海邊守候一整夜，只為觀看一艘航海配備完整的傳統帆船被大火吞噬。這艘船正是為燒王船儀式特別打造的。
燒王船的儀式為東港迎王平安祭典的壓軸。祭典通常在十月舉辦，為期一週，從迎接五位千歲爺渡海駕臨起拉開序幕。
祭典的第一個活動為在東港海邊迎請千歲爺駕臨。儀式中，乩童讓千歲爺附身以與之溝通，並辨別駕臨神祇的身分，以確定哪個乩童體內的才是負責帶頭的神明。每年負責帶頭的神明都是祭典前一天晚上才經請示儀式決定的。
Photo: Perry Svensson, Taipei Times
照片： 台北時報記者蘇沛攝
燒王船為送千歲爺離開時所舉辦的儀式，而離開後的千歲爺將在三年後重返。一整週的祭典活動旨在淨化東港地區，讓未來三年可免於災厄邪靈。
下一次的東港燒王船活動將在明年舉辦。一如往例，確切的日期會在東隆宮請示神明後決定。
（台北時報編譯涂宇安譯）
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