Dajia Mazu pilgrimage concludes with large crowd in Taichung
大甲媽祖祭祀活動在台中圓滿結束，現場人山人海。
| TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The annual Dajia Mazu pilgrimage concluded early Monday morning, drawing massive crowds estimated at 800,000 on the final leg to Jenn Lann Temple and delaying Mazu’s return by two and a half hours due to congestion.
A palanquin carrying Mazu entered the city on schedule via Shuiwei Bridge at 5 p.m. Sunday and proceeded through the four city gates. After nightfall, large numbers of worshippers gathered outside the temple to watch the procession and present offerings of incense and fireworks, creating a festive atmosphere, per CNA. At 1:21 a.m., the palanquin finally entered the temple courtyard. Temple staff carefully removed the Mazu statue and carried it for enshrinement, as devotees reached out to touch it in hopes of peace and safe journeys. Taichung Deputy Mayor Cheng Chao-hsin (鄭照新) and Jenn Lann Temple Chair Yen Ching-piao (顏清標) were among those attending the ceremony. Yen thanked participating groups and worshippers, saying the nine-day pilgrimage has become one of the world’s major religious events due to collective efforts, adding that the number of participants was too large to count. The Dajia Mazu pilgrimage has been named one of the world’s three largest religious festivals by the Discovery Channel. UNESCO has also included Mazu beliefs and customs on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Addressing the delay, Yen said it was unavoidable due to the enthusiasm of devotees. “So many people wanted to pass under the palanquin, and we even had to set up more snack stalls,” he said, expressing gratitude to all participants, per CNA. This year’s procession began at 10:05 p.m. on April 17, traveling more than 340 km through Taichung, Changhua, Yunlin, and Chiayi. The statues of the main deity, secondary deity, and Meizhou Mazu were returned to the temple altar in sequence early Monday morning, accompanied by sutra chanting by temple staff. |
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| Sean Scanlan Taiwan News, Staff Writer | |
| 2026-04-27 |
