North Coast Mazu Cultural Festival to Open on May 16, 36 International Students to Serve as Attendants

Central News Agency

(Central News Agency reporter Huang Hsu-sheng, New Taipei, 7th) The "2026 North Coast Mazu Cultural Festival" will commence on May 16, combining cultural performances, charity, pilgrimage, and local delicacies. It will culminate on June 1 with the "Jinbaoli Second Mazu Returns to Yehliu Mazu Cave Ceremony." This year, 36 international students from Southeast Asia at Chihlee University of Science and Technology have been invited to serve as "36 Attendants," escorting the Second Mazu and experiencing the century-old Mazu culture of the North Coast.

New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Liu He-ran stated at a press conference today that the North Coast Mazu Cultural Festival is not only a religious event but also integrates international exchange and local culture, allowing Southeast Asian students to learn about Taiwanese folk culture through participation, which is an important way to cultivate international talent.

Nguyen Tuan Duy, a student from the Vietnamese program at Chihlee University of Science and Technology, and others appeared today with painted faces and ceremonial instruments, and will serve as vanguard escorts during the palanquin procession. Nguyen Tuan Duy expressed his joy in experiencing religious culture in Taiwan and looks forward to tasting the special local delicacies along the way.

Chairman You Zhongyi of Jinbaoli Cihuguang Temple announced that registration for "Spiritual Pilgrimage" and "Palanquin Pilgrimage" will open on May 13, allowing devotees to experience Mazu's blessings through actual participation or spiritual prayer. The series of activities includes cultural performances, blood donation charity, and a grand procession throughout Jinshan.

He added that Cihuguang Temple will prepare local North Coast snacks such as oil rice, khao chae, osmanthus honey zongzi, douhua, egg waffles, and radish cakes for devotees to enjoy along the route. There will also be a limited-edition event where participants can collect stamps to redeem a thermal color-changing mug.

New Taipei Civil Affairs Bureau Director Lin Yao-chang stated that on the day of the pilgrimage, June 1, students from the Dance Department of National Taiwan Sport University will perform a mime about the legend of Jinshan Second Mazu in front of the Yehliu sea cave. Palanquin bearers will personally carry the Mazu deity into the cave for enthronement, recreating the interaction between humans and gods and the pioneering spirit of early settlers.

Jinbaoli Cihuguang Temple stated that the "Golden Face Second Mazu" is a rare Mazu deity statue in Taiwan, known as "Mazu within Mazu." Legend has it that during the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, fishermen discovered the statue in a sea cave in Yehliu, Wanli, and later enshrined it in Jinbaoli Street (now Jinshan District). Every year on the 16th day of the fourth lunar month, during a low tide, the sea cave emerges, and the Golden Face Second Mazu returns to the Yehliu Mazu Cave for a visit, allowing devotees to worship. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150507

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