The annual procession of the sea goddess Matsu enshrined at Jenn Lann Temple (鎮瀾宮) in Taichung’s Dajia District (大甲) drew large crowds that filled the streets on the last leg of its nine-day journey yesterday.
The procession, which reached Fengtian Temple (奉天宮) in Chiayi’s Singang Township (新港) on Tuesday to celebrate Matsu’s birthday and began the return journey later that day, entered Taichung before sunrise on Saturday.
Tens of thousands of worshipers followed a palanquin carrying the sea goddess and other deities to seek their blessing before spending Saturday night in Cingshuei District (清水).
Local residents along the route offered free food to worshipers, and set off fireworks to greet Matsu.
Yesterday morning, the procession circled Cingshuei, and Matsu received representatives from temples in Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung and Changhua County, with a heavy police presence ensuring that the crowd moved smoothly.
The procession arrived in Dajia in the afternoon, with worshipers lining up along Provincial Highway No. 1 to greet Matsu before returning to Jenn Lann Temple, where a welcoming ceremony was held to bring the deity back to her thrones.
In front of the temple, dragon and lion dancers, martial artists and cheerleaders performed, and parades of deities were held as part of the ceremony, while the temple was packed with visitors throughout the day.
Although the temple said it would not allow the traditional practice of worshipers crawling under the palanquin for Matsu’s blessing this year, citing COVID-19 prevention efforts, hundreds of people did so as the procession traveled through Dajia.
The procession, which travels about 340km from Taichung to Chiayi and back, was designated as national cultural heritage in 2011.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
PLANNED: The suspect visited the crime scene before the killings, seeking information on how to access the roof, and had extensively researched a 2014 stabbing incident The suspect in a stabbing attack that killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei on Friday had planned the assault and set fires at other locations earlier in the day, law enforcement officials said yesterday. National Police Agency (NPA) Director-General Chang Jung-hsin (張榮興) said the suspect, a 27-year-old man named Chang Wen (張文), began the attacks at 3:40pm, first setting off smoke bombs on a road, damaging cars and motorbikes. Earlier, Chang Wen set fire to a rental room where he was staying on Gongyuan Road in Zhongzheng District (中正), Chang Jung-hsin said. The suspect later threw smoke grenades near two exits
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
RSS