The Wangye Worshiping Ceremony in Pingtung County’s Donggang Township (東港) is this year held on a smaller scale than originally planned as part of the nation’s efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The festival, held from today to Sunday next week, normally attracts tens of thousands of participants holding rituals to prevent the spread of plagues, making it one of the largest religious rituals in the southern part of Taiwan.
The festival, held every three years, is this year limited to 98 groups, compared with about 200 groups that attended in 2018, said Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chou Chun-mi (周春米), who is from Pingtung.
The number of participants is limited to 5,000, compared with 20,000 in former iterations.
Worshipping Wangye — who are believed to be divine emissaries to this world — is particularly popular in southern Taiwan. They are believed to expel disease and evil from those who worship them.
Influenced by traditions brought from China’s Fujian and Guangdong provinces, Wangye worship was widely adopted at a time when epidemics were frequent and medical knowledge was lacking in Taiwan.
The ceremony, centered around Donglong Temple (東隆宮), has been held for about 300 years. The highlight of the eight-day event is the burning of a King Boat built by worshiper specifically for the festival, which symbolizes the release of the Wangye.
The boat burning tradition dates back about 1,000 years, and some historians think that it might have been inspired by the discovery that fire is effective at destroying pathogens, the Tourism Bureau said.
Building a King Boat, which typically features detailed paintings of dragons, elephants and sages, often costs as much as a sports car, the bureau said.
In 2010, the ceremony was listed as an intangible cultural asset by the Ministry of Culture.
Despite its smaller scale this year, the festival is expected to attract a large crowd, as some believe that participation can stave off bad luck and bring blessings.
Traffic controls are in place around the temple, and visitors are advised to plan their trips in advance. Wearing a mask is required at all times.
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
RSS