Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday led city officials to Guandu Temple (關渡宮) in Beitou District (北投) to pray to Matsu, asking for everything to go smoothly for next month’s Universiade.
Ko led the Summer Universiade executive committee and preparation team in prayer at the temple at about 5am.
The Universiade, which is to the biggest international event to ever be held in Taipei, opens on Aug. 19.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Putting their palms together for prayer, the team knelt down before the statue of Matsu, as Taoist priest chanted and performed rituals.
“The Universiade is not Taipei’s Universiade. It is Taiwan’s Universiade,” Ko said. “So we are praying for the events to be safe and to run smoothly.”
“There are many things to worry about in this world, but ... [today we] pray for the Games,” said Ko, adding that he would go on a vegetarian diet for a month — a common practice when one prays for good fortune.
Responding to a questions about a rumor that city employees with same-sex partners are allowed to take marriage and maternity leave, Ko said that since same-sex partners can be registered at the Department of Civil Affairs these employees fall under normal city employee marriage-related regulations.
However, he said that because regulations have not yet passed legal procedures, private companies do not have to comply with them.
This story has been updated since it was first published.
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