Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage: Pilgrims Accuse Tour Bus Driver of Defrauding Them Through Fake Proxy Registration
Following the Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage, pilgrims accused a tour bus driver of collecting registration fees but failing to actually register them, covering it up with counterfeit gear.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 22, 2026 at 20:46
- 🔍 Collected: April 22, 2026 at 21:02 (15 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 23, 2026 at 15:03 (18h 1m after Collected)
Central News
(CNA Reporter Kuan Jui-ping, Miaoli, 22nd) As the Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage in Tongxiao, Miaoli concluded, some pilgrims (Xiangdeng Jiao) accused a tour bus driver of organizing a group and collecting proxy registration fees, only to cover it up with pirated pilgrimage clothing and armbands. In reality, he never completed the registration for the whole busload of believers nor refunded the money, leading to harsh criticism that he was 'doing evil deeds right under Mazu's nose'.
A man surnamed Liao, living in the north, posted on the social platform Threads sharing his experience participating in this year's Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage, expressing his heartbreak that a tour bus driver used everyone's love for Baishatun Mazu to scam them.
During a telephone interview with the media today, Liao stated that this was his third year participating in the pilgrimage via tour bus. Since he had taken this driver's bus in his first year and felt the driver was responsible and had a good service attitude, he trusted him. When the driver proactively offered to handle group registration, Liao joined along with over 30 other pilgrims. Before departure, everyone transferred the 8-day, 7-night tour bus fare of NT$2,100 and the pilgrimage registration public fee of NT$700 per person.
Liao said that before departure, a fellow passenger questioned why bus number 53 was not listed in the tour bus information published by Gongtian Temple. The driver vaguely answered in the group chat, claiming the temple had missed filling it out. On the night of departure, the driver kept making excuses, saying the bus would be late. By the time they received the bus's location, Mazu was about to set off, so everyone hurriedly put their luggage on the bus, grabbed their clothes and armbands, and started walking.
Unexpectedly, when dawn broke the next day, they realized their gear was different from other pilgrims. The armband material was noticeably rough, and the clothes were from a pirated brand, with completely different zippers and colors. 'They were completely fake.' Under everyone's questioning, the driver finally admitted he hadn't registered them at all, and had privately found someone to forge the related pilgrimage gear.
Liao pointed out that the NT$700 registration fee the driver originally promised to refund has still not been returned, and he even removed everyone from the group chat afterwards. He said that as pilgrims, more than the money, what everyone cared about was having their names written in the auspicious document to pray for Mazu's blessing. Instead, the driver used this method to deceive and allegedly defraud them, 'doing evil deeds right under Mazu's nose'. If this is tolerated, it's hard to guarantee other pilgrims won't be scammed next year.
Liao said he hopes this driver acts on his conscience. If he believes Baishatun Mazu is efficacious, he should donate the illicit gains to the Tung's Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital. If so, they would be willing to forgive and give him another chance.
The Gongtian Temple Management Committee pointed out that before registration opens, they frequently campaign that people should be careful of being scammed when commissioning proxy pilgrimage registration via the internet or social media. The temple has always encouraged believers to register in person. If they want to register for a tour bus, it should be arranged in sequence by the temple to be guaranteed. As for the driver's personal behavior, the temple feels regretful, and the victimized pilgrims can report it to the police and file a lawsuit.
Feng Wen-yi, Deputy Commander of the Criminal Investigation Corps of the Miaoli County Police Bureau, said preliminary understanding indicates the driver recruited privately, and the clothes, armbands, and other items were not provided by the temple. After checking the National Police Agency's '165' reporting system, no similar case reports have been received yet. They have contacted Liao via a comment on the social platform and notified the driver to assist in clarifying the case. If illegal acts are involved, it will be investigated according to law. (Editor: Hsieh Ya-chu) 1150422
(CNA Reporter Kuan Jui-ping, Miaoli, 22nd) As the Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage in Tongxiao, Miaoli concluded, some pilgrims (Xiangdeng Jiao) accused a tour bus driver of organizing a group and collecting proxy registration fees, only to cover it up with pirated pilgrimage clothing and armbands. In reality, he never completed the registration for the whole busload of believers nor refunded the money, leading to harsh criticism that he was 'doing evil deeds right under Mazu's nose'.
A man surnamed Liao, living in the north, posted on the social platform Threads sharing his experience participating in this year's Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage, expressing his heartbreak that a tour bus driver used everyone's love for Baishatun Mazu to scam them.
During a telephone interview with the media today, Liao stated that this was his third year participating in the pilgrimage via tour bus. Since he had taken this driver's bus in his first year and felt the driver was responsible and had a good service attitude, he trusted him. When the driver proactively offered to handle group registration, Liao joined along with over 30 other pilgrims. Before departure, everyone transferred the 8-day, 7-night tour bus fare of NT$2,100 and the pilgrimage registration public fee of NT$700 per person.
Liao said that before departure, a fellow passenger questioned why bus number 53 was not listed in the tour bus information published by Gongtian Temple. The driver vaguely answered in the group chat, claiming the temple had missed filling it out. On the night of departure, the driver kept making excuses, saying the bus would be late. By the time they received the bus's location, Mazu was about to set off, so everyone hurriedly put their luggage on the bus, grabbed their clothes and armbands, and started walking.
Unexpectedly, when dawn broke the next day, they realized their gear was different from other pilgrims. The armband material was noticeably rough, and the clothes were from a pirated brand, with completely different zippers and colors. 'They were completely fake.' Under everyone's questioning, the driver finally admitted he hadn't registered them at all, and had privately found someone to forge the related pilgrimage gear.
Liao pointed out that the NT$700 registration fee the driver originally promised to refund has still not been returned, and he even removed everyone from the group chat afterwards. He said that as pilgrims, more than the money, what everyone cared about was having their names written in the auspicious document to pray for Mazu's blessing. Instead, the driver used this method to deceive and allegedly defraud them, 'doing evil deeds right under Mazu's nose'. If this is tolerated, it's hard to guarantee other pilgrims won't be scammed next year.
Liao said he hopes this driver acts on his conscience. If he believes Baishatun Mazu is efficacious, he should donate the illicit gains to the Tung's Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital. If so, they would be willing to forgive and give him another chance.
The Gongtian Temple Management Committee pointed out that before registration opens, they frequently campaign that people should be careful of being scammed when commissioning proxy pilgrimage registration via the internet or social media. The temple has always encouraged believers to register in person. If they want to register for a tour bus, it should be arranged in sequence by the temple to be guaranteed. As for the driver's personal behavior, the temple feels regretful, and the victimized pilgrims can report it to the police and file a lawsuit.
Feng Wen-yi, Deputy Commander of the Criminal Investigation Corps of the Miaoli County Police Bureau, said preliminary understanding indicates the driver recruited privately, and the clothes, armbands, and other items were not provided by the temple. After checking the National Police Agency's '165' reporting system, no similar case reports have been received yet. They have contacted Liao via a comment on the social platform and notified the driver to assist in clarifying the case. If illegal acts are involved, it will be investigated according to law. (Editor: Hsieh Ya-chu) 1150422