Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage sets off with 460,000 devotees on an 8-day, 7-night journey
The Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage commenced, with over 460,000 devotees embarking on an 8-day, 7-night journey, setting a new record for participation. This year's event saw the inclusion of Gongtian Temple's Lu-chu Mazu, accompanying the Mountain-side Mazu. The pilgrimage, a significant cultural and religious event, also attracted numerous politicians amid local elections, underscoring its role in unifying Taiwanese people through faith.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 13, 2026 at 04:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 13, 2026 at 05:00 (1h 0m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 13, 2026 at 10:27 (5h 27m after Collected)
This year, the sedan chair was mounted at 11:55 PM on the 12th. After the Mazu and Lu-chu Mazu of Gongtian Temple were seated in the main hall, they awaited the Mountain-side Mazu to join around 0:30 AM on the 13th for the ceremonial union. With the sedan chair bearers having properly secured the deities, the "Pink Supercar" performed three advances and three retreats as expected by the crowd, embarking on its long journey north to Beigang.
The number of registered participants for this year's pilgrimage surpassed 460,000, once again setting a historical high. From early morning on the 12th until late into the night, Baishatun and its surroundings were bustling with continuous streams of people. A large army of "Xiang Deng Jiao" (pilgrims) wearing orange hats poured in from all over Taiwan, packing the inside and outside of Gongtian Temple. As the sedan chair departed in the early morning of the 13th, many homes, companies, and organizations along its path set up incense altars to respectfully send off Mazu. Firecrackers and celebratory cannons echoed along the route, and enthusiastic devotees shouted "Mazu, I love you," creating a grand spectacle.
Gongtian Temple stated that after Mazu's sedan chair departs, it is expected to arrive in Beigang on the 16th, perform the "Jin Huo" (fire fetching) ceremony at 0:10 AM on the 17th, return to the temple at 4:10 PM on the 20th, and open the incense burner on May 1st.
Last year, the Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage entered Nantou County for the first time, and unusually stayed overnight at the Tongxiao Township Office the day before returning to the temple, sparking much discussion. Lin Hsing-fu, secretary of Gongtian Temple, told CNA that this year's entire journey is 8 days and 7 nights, with 4 days each for the outbound and return trips. The time is evenly distributed, so there won't be issues with forced marching, but keeping up with Mazu's pace is still a major challenge.
Furthermore, the number of pilgrims increases year by year. In addition to the long-standing companionship of the Mountain-side Mazu from nearby, this year Gongtian Temple's Lu-chu Mazu also joined, with three Mazu statues traveling together. This ensures care for the numerous Xiang Deng Jiao and maintains the balance of local faith.
With local public official elections approaching at the end of this year, politicians and candidates from various blue, green, and white parties had already paid their respects and sent off Mazu. President Lai Ching-te led DPP public officials and five mayoral/county magistrate candidates in offering incense, and personally participated in the sedan chair cleansing and inviting Mazu out of her shrine with Gongtian Temple Chairman Hong Wen-hua. Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen and Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, along with several KMT mayors, county magistrates, and legislators, participated in the sedan chair mounting ceremony.
Miaoli County Magistrate Chung Tung-chin said that the Mazu pilgrimage is the happiest event, stating, "Today there is no politics, only religion." This journey from Tongxiao, Miaoli, to Beigang, Yunlin, connects the friendship between various counties and cities along the route. Through Mazu's faith, it gathers the cohesion of Taiwanese people, and he also thanked the President for his special personal presence.
The Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage has no fixed schedule or route. Each year, the departure, arrival in Beigang, Jin Huo, and return to the temple are determined by divination blocks. During the pilgrimage, the sedan chair bearers entirely follow Mazu's "will" to decide the direction of travel, making the entire journey full of unknowns. In 2008, it was registered as an intangible cultural heritage of Miaoli County, and in 2010, it was designated as a national important folk custom by the Ministry of Culture, making it one of Taiwan's important religious events. (Edited by Ho Hung-ju) 1150413
The number of registered participants for this year's pilgrimage surpassed 460,000, once again setting a historical high. From early morning on the 12th until late into the night, Baishatun and its surroundings were bustling with continuous streams of people. A large army of "Xiang Deng Jiao" (pilgrims) wearing orange hats poured in from all over Taiwan, packing the inside and outside of Gongtian Temple. As the sedan chair departed in the early morning of the 13th, many homes, companies, and organizations along its path set up incense altars to respectfully send off Mazu. Firecrackers and celebratory cannons echoed along the route, and enthusiastic devotees shouted "Mazu, I love you," creating a grand spectacle.
Gongtian Temple stated that after Mazu's sedan chair departs, it is expected to arrive in Beigang on the 16th, perform the "Jin Huo" (fire fetching) ceremony at 0:10 AM on the 17th, return to the temple at 4:10 PM on the 20th, and open the incense burner on May 1st.
Last year, the Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage entered Nantou County for the first time, and unusually stayed overnight at the Tongxiao Township Office the day before returning to the temple, sparking much discussion. Lin Hsing-fu, secretary of Gongtian Temple, told CNA that this year's entire journey is 8 days and 7 nights, with 4 days each for the outbound and return trips. The time is evenly distributed, so there won't be issues with forced marching, but keeping up with Mazu's pace is still a major challenge.
Furthermore, the number of pilgrims increases year by year. In addition to the long-standing companionship of the Mountain-side Mazu from nearby, this year Gongtian Temple's Lu-chu Mazu also joined, with three Mazu statues traveling together. This ensures care for the numerous Xiang Deng Jiao and maintains the balance of local faith.
With local public official elections approaching at the end of this year, politicians and candidates from various blue, green, and white parties had already paid their respects and sent off Mazu. President Lai Ching-te led DPP public officials and five mayoral/county magistrate candidates in offering incense, and personally participated in the sedan chair cleansing and inviting Mazu out of her shrine with Gongtian Temple Chairman Hong Wen-hua. Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen and Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, along with several KMT mayors, county magistrates, and legislators, participated in the sedan chair mounting ceremony.
Miaoli County Magistrate Chung Tung-chin said that the Mazu pilgrimage is the happiest event, stating, "Today there is no politics, only religion." This journey from Tongxiao, Miaoli, to Beigang, Yunlin, connects the friendship between various counties and cities along the route. Through Mazu's faith, it gathers the cohesion of Taiwanese people, and he also thanked the President for his special personal presence.
The Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage has no fixed schedule or route. Each year, the departure, arrival in Beigang, Jin Huo, and return to the temple are determined by divination blocks. During the pilgrimage, the sedan chair bearers entirely follow Mazu's "will" to decide the direction of travel, making the entire journey full of unknowns. In 2008, it was registered as an intangible cultural heritage of Miaoli County, and in 2010, it was designated as a national important folk custom by the Ministry of Culture, making it one of Taiwan's important religious events. (Edited by Ho Hung-ju) 1150413