Hengchun Guanyin Temple Celebrates General Li's Birthday with Water Palanquin Competition at Pier
Guanyin Temple in Hengchun Township, Pingtung County, celebrated General Li's birthday by combining religious festivities with local water culture. Various water fun competitions, including water palanquin relays, were held today at Houbihu Yacht Harbor, attracting hundreds of residents and tourists.
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- 📰 Published: May 3, 2026 at 16:11
- 🔍 Collected: May 3, 2026 at 16:31 (20 min after Published)
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Huang Yu-ching, Pingtung County, 3rd) Dahushufang Guanyin Temple in Hengchun Township, Pingtung County, celebrated General Li's birthday by combining a major religious event with local water culture. Today, various water fun competitions, including water palanquin relays, were held at Houbihu Yacht Harbor, attracting hundreds of residents and tourists.
Dahushufang Guanyin Temple has been celebrating General Li's birthday with water competitions for years. This year, the water activities were once again held, combining religious beliefs with local water culture to celebrate the deity's birthday and foster community spirit among local residents. This morning, hundreds of people flocked to Houbihu Yacht Harbor, enthusiastically participating in fun competitions such as water palanquin, swimming relays, banana boat paddling races, SUP stand-up paddling, and catching plastic ducks.
Guo Ming-hsiung, standing supervisor of Dahushufang Guanyin Temple, told the Central News Agency that Guanyin Temple mainly worships Guanyin Bodhisattva, and General Li is a guardian of the Bodhisattva, believed to be the commander-in-chief of Zheng Chenggong's naval forces during the Ming Dynasty. Hengchun is geographically located by the sea and has a close relationship with the ocean. Holding water activities not only commemorates General Li's identity as the naval commander-in-chief but also integrates local marine culture into religious beliefs.
The competition kicked off with the main event, the water palanquin. Four local teams from Hengchun and one team of foreign tourists competed, requiring participants to carry a palanquin back and forth for 100 meters in the water. Swimming relays, fun banana boat paddling races, and SUP stand-up paddling competitions followed. Athletes gave their best, but boats often moved slowly or deviated from their course, and some SUP athletes collided or capsized, filling the venue with laughter and a lively atmosphere.
This year, the perennial champion "Simple Mint B&B Team" won first place in the water palanquin, and also took first place in the swimming relay and banana boat categories. Captain Chen Jung-hsiang said that the Guanyin Temple water competition is a local grand event, aimed at encouraging young people to engage in water education, and he has led a team to participate almost every year. He is from Nanwan, where he has seen the sea since childhood, and loves the ocean and water activities; half of his team members are family, who also enjoy water activities, and they have participated in the palanquin competition more than 10 times, winning the championship all but once.
The event also included a duck catching game suitable for all ages. The temple stated that this year, in response to environmental protection, they replaced the former balloons with reusable plastic yellow ducks. Many children, accompanied by their parents, went into the water to catch them, creating a joyful and warm scene. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150503
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(Central News Agency reporter Huang Yu-ching, Pingtung County, 3rd) Dahushufang Guanyin Temple in Hengchun Township, Pingtung County, celebrated General Li's birthday by combining a major religious event with local water culture. Today, various water fun competitions, including water palanquin relays, were held at Houbihu Yacht Harbor, attracting hundreds of residents and tourists.
Dahushufang Guanyin Temple has been celebrating General Li's birthday with water competitions for years. This year, the water activities were once again held, combining religious beliefs with local water culture to celebrate the deity's birthday and foster community spirit among local residents. This morning, hundreds of people flocked to Houbihu Yacht Harbor, enthusiastically participating in fun competitions such as water palanquin, swimming relays, banana boat paddling races, SUP stand-up paddling, and catching plastic ducks.
Guo Ming-hsiung, standing supervisor of Dahushufang Guanyin Temple, told the Central News Agency that Guanyin Temple mainly worships Guanyin Bodhisattva, and General Li is a guardian of the Bodhisattva, believed to be the commander-in-chief of Zheng Chenggong's naval forces during the Ming Dynasty. Hengchun is geographically located by the sea and has a close relationship with the ocean. Holding water activities not only commemorates General Li's identity as the naval commander-in-chief but also integrates local marine culture into religious beliefs.
The competition kicked off with the main event, the water palanquin. Four local teams from Hengchun and one team of foreign tourists competed, requiring participants to carry a palanquin back and forth for 100 meters in the water. Swimming relays, fun banana boat paddling races, and SUP stand-up paddling competitions followed. Athletes gave their best, but boats often moved slowly or deviated from their course, and some SUP athletes collided or capsized, filling the venue with laughter and a lively atmosphere.
This year, the perennial champion "Simple Mint B&B Team" won first place in the water palanquin, and also took first place in the swimming relay and banana boat categories. Captain Chen Jung-hsiang said that the Guanyin Temple water competition is a local grand event, aimed at encouraging young people to engage in water education, and he has led a team to participate almost every year. He is from Nanwan, where he has seen the sea since childhood, and loves the ocean and water activities; half of his team members are family, who also enjoy water activities, and they have participated in the palanquin competition more than 10 times, winning the championship all but once.
The event also included a duck catching game suitable for all ages. The temple stated that this year, in response to environmental protection, they replaced the former balloons with reusable plastic yellow ducks. Many children, accompanied by their parents, went into the water to catch them, creating a joyful and warm scene. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150503
Stand with the facts, every sponsorship of yours is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or used without authorization.