113,221 People Sign Up for Baishatun Matsu Pilgrimage 白沙屯媽祖進香 11.3萬人報名創新高

The Baishatun Matsu Pilgrimage, one of the largest annual religious processions in Taiwan will set off from Miaoli County's Baishatun on Feb.12. About 113,000 people have signed up to participate in this year's procession.

The Baishatun Matsu Pilgrimage will set off from Miaoli County's Baishatun early morning of the 12th and travel to Chao Tian Temple in Yunlin County's Beigang. A flag-raising ceremony was held at 11:40 p.m. on the 8th, announcing the official start of this year's pilgrimage. After dawn, people continued to pour in to sign up to participate in this year's procession.

Matsu Follower: “Hi, director general.”

The square head flag is more than 200 centimeters high and is embroidered with various words. The flag is shaped like a historical Chinese spear. According to a century-old custom, the temple will hold a flag-raising ceremony three days before the pilgrimage, and believers will start a 3-day vegetarian diet. They will also raise the flag and prepare rich offerings, praying for a safe and smooth pilgrimage.

Hung Wen-hua, Chairperson, Gong Tian Temple: “The pilgrimage from Gong Tian Temple in Baishatun to Beigang will last nine days and eight nights. It officially has started when the head flag was lowered in the morning. This year, 113,221 people signed up, an increase of 25 percent.”

The pilgrimage is about 300 kilometers round trip. This religious event was listed as a national intangible cultural asset by the Ministry of Culture in 2010. This year, more than 113,000 people signed up for the 9-day, 8-night trip, a record high. The pilgrimage is expected to return on the afternoon of the 20th.

 

人手一炷清香祈禱，請出來的頭旗，就固定在廟門前的龍柱上。苗栗縣通霄鎮白沙屯拱天宮媽祖南下雲林北港朝天宮進香，預計在12日凌晨出發，8日深夜11時40分舉行放頭旗儀式，宣告今年徒步進香活動正式揭開序幕，天亮後信眾仍持續湧入報名。

信眾說：「嗨，總幹事你好。」

四方形的頭旗高200多公分，旗面繡有雙龍與白沙屯拱天宮天上聖母等字樣，造型以古代兵器方天畫戟為象徵，為白沙屯媽祖進香的先鋒旗。依百年來習俗，廟方會在進香前3天舉行放頭旗儀式，信眾開始3天的齋戒，也會「開旗犒軍」準備豐盛供品，祈求進香全程平安順利。

白沙屯拱天宮主委洪文華表示：「白沙屯拱天宮往北港進香，9天8夜活動在早上放頭旗就正式開始，實際（報名）人數11萬3221人，今年人數報名成長25%。」

拱天宮徒步進香來回約300多公里，為台灣的宗教盛事，2010年更被文化部列入國家無形文化資產，今年9天8夜的行程，已有11萬3000多人報名參加，創下歷史新高，進香活動預計20日下午回鑾。