Signups for the Baishatun Matsu pilgrimage, widely recognized as Taiwan’s religious procession that covers the most distance, on Tuesday surpassed 450,000, setting a new record, Gongtian Temple chair Hung Wen-hua (洪文華) said, with the number expected to rise further before registration ends at 6pm today.
The pilgrimage is scheduled to start on Sunday at 11:55pm, Hung told a news conference at the Tongsiao Township (通霄) Office in Miaoli County.
On the pilgrimage, participants carry a palanquin with a Matsu statue from Gongtian Temple (拱天宮) in Tongsiao to Chaotian Temple (朝天宮) in Yunlin County’s Beigang Township (北港).
Photo: Tsai Cheng-min, Taipei Times
This year’s pilgrimage is expected to reach Beigang on Thursday next week, ahead of the holy fire ceremony at Chaotian Temple the following day.
Matsu is scheduled to return to Gongtian Temple on April 20, with an incense ceremony held the following day.
Miaoli was hit with heavy rains on the weekend, but thanks to Matsu’s protection, no one was hurt, Miaoli County Commissioner Chung Tung-chin (鍾東錦) said.
People should take public transportation to Gongtian Temple to ease traffic, Hung said.
Participants should not waste food and snacks generously provided by people along the route and practice environmental responsibility, he said.
The township office said it plans to hold an arts gala at the Gongtian Temple parking lot the night the pilgrimage begins, with musicians and artists to perform.
It also plans to hold an event on April 19 to welcome the statue back, it said.
Due to the pilgrimage, parking at Baishatun (白沙屯) Railway Station would be restricted from Saturday to April 20 and the square in front of the station would be cleared, station officials said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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