The annual pilgrimage honoring the sea goddess Matsu at Dajia Jenn Lann Temple in Taichung, one of Taiwan’s most important religious events, is scheduled to begin at 10:05pm on April 17.
The date and time were decided yesterday after Yen Ching-piao (顏清標), chairman of the Jenn Lann Temple board, cast a pair of crescent-shaped divination blocks in front of a statue of Matsu in a traditional rite seeking the deity’s approval.
The theme of this year’s pilgrimage is "kindness" (善), the temple said, adding that the annual procession showcases the "best things" in Taiwan, with people along the route offering snacks, water, massage services and medical assistance.
Photo: Taipei Times
Tens of thousands of participants voluntarily practice and promote kindness, creating what the temple described as a virtuous cycle of goodwill.
This year, organizers have replaced pork offerings with "Ping-An" rice cakes, a traditional ritual of earlier followers, which could reduce the number of pigs offered to the event, the temple said.
The night-day, eight-night pilgrimage route includes stops at several temples in Taichung, Changhua County, Yunlin County and Chiayi County before returning to Dajia, the temple said.
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS