With the traditional period for the annual pilgrimages dedicated to the goddess Matsu approaching, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday said that he had instructed Minister of the Interior Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) to ask organizers to postpone such events amid concerns over the spread of COVID-19.
Matsu pilgrimages are time-honored religious events in Taiwan, but they would entail large crowds in the daytime, and many people sleeping and dining under the same roof at night, raising questions about disease-prevention and containment efforts, Su said when asked whether the events would be postponed.
It is a critical moment for disease prevention, and he believes that Matsu would also want people to prioritize public health, the premier said.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Hsu told reporters in Taipei that he had reminded local governments and organizers of large religious events to adhere to the Centers for Disease Control’s guidelines on large assemblies and to have backup plans for delaying any large religious events.
He made the comments at an event to announce a ritual to be held by an alliance of temples to pray for good fortune for the nation as it works to contain the coronavirus.
The Huan Yu Matsu Cultural Exchange Association, which is organizing the ritual, said that it would be held next month and be attended by representatives of 100 temples, but it does not want followers to participate.
Meanwhile, organizers of the Dajia Matsu Pilgrimage (大甲媽祖遶境), the nation’s largest such event, said that they were inclined to go ahead with the nine-day event, which is scheduled to begin on March 19.
Cheng Ming-kun (鄭銘坤), deputy chairman of the Dajia Jenn Lann Temple (大甲鎮瀾宮) in Taichung’s Dajia District (大甲), said the public should trust the government, which has effectively controlled the spread of the virus, saying that the temple would cancel the pilgrimage only if “the city is locked down.”
The pilgrimage traditionally passes through Changhua, Yunlin and Chiayi counties, covering about 350km.
Cheng and temple chairman Yen Ching-piao (顏清標) traveled south to meet with managers of temples that had signed up to participate in the pilgrimage.
They planned to “negotiate response measures” in case the pilgrimage has to be postponed, the temple said.
The Dajia Matsu Pilgrimage is not the only one of its kind, so people should not target it, the temple said.
Additional reporting by Chang Hsuan-che
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