Pilgrimage to Peikang

Peikang, a township located close to the southwest coast of Taiwan, is the site of Chao Tien Kung, one of the oldest and largest temples dedicated to Matsu. Since Matsu is goddess of the sea, her blessing was regarded as essential to the early Chinese emigrants from the mainland coastal province of Fukien, for them to complete the hazardous ocean voyage to Taiwan.

After settling down in their new surroundings, the immigrants did not neglect their patron deity. As a result, there are no fewer than 383 Matsu temples in Taiwan. According to tradition, the birth of Matsu on the 23rd day of the third lunar month in the year 960 A.D. was marked by a red light descending from heaven to the small island of Meichou just off the coast of Fukien. The beam eventually led to the house of the Lin family, where Lin's wife was about to give birth to a baby girl. That there was something special about the infant was immediately evident, for throughout her first month her parents never heard her cry. This unusual characteristic gave rise to her appellation "the silent girl" (moniang).

When the Lin's daughter was 16, she was visited by a spirit who conferred upon her a bronze amulet which gave the young girl the power to help others in times of distress. From that time on she became known for her compassionate use of her divine gift. But her life was short; at the age of 28 she is said to have ascended to Heaven. In 1684, she was honored as "Empress of Heaven," the ultimate position accorded her by Emperor Kang Hsi.

Festivities connected with the birth of the deity stretch out for several weeks each year. But the climax comes on the 19th and the 23rd days of the third lunar month when upward of 100,000 devoted pilgrims and curious spectators arrive by charter bus, taxi, public transportation, and on foot to choke the streets and hotels of Peikang. The groups which go with the images are called Chin Hsiang Tuan, or incense offering groups. The most spectacular of these is the one from Tachia.

Each year, some 30,000 pilgrims from Tachia accompany their goddess Matsu on a pilgrimage to Peikang to reaffirm her ties with the mother temple there and to demonstrate the deep faith the people of Tachia have in her. After the journey, the pilgrims are seldom unaffected by what they see: families kneeling along the road in the middle of the night with incense in their hands waiting for Matsu to pass; mothers carrying their newborn infants as they crawl under the palanquin; 60-, 70-, 80-year-old women and men walking some 250 kilometers carrying one of the goddess' embroidered banners; and women both old and young preparing and bringing food to the temple to feed the hungry pilgrims.

Tachia Ma, together with Ku Po or grandaunt, are endearing terms used by the people of Tachia to refer to their goddess. The town's entire populace is involved in the departure. Whether a simple pilgrim or a member of the official party, one thing all persons going on the pilgrimage must have is a hsiang chi or pilgrim's flag. This is a triangular piece of embroidered cloth, colored red, green, blue, or yellow, and attached to a stick about two feet long. A bell and a temple charm are also tied onto the top of the stick. When all is ready, the flag is taken to the temple censer and passed above it three times. This act in essence means that the spirit of the goddess has descended upon the flag.

As the hour approaches midnight, Matsu's "soldiers" are already lined up on the main road outside the temple. Except for her soldiers and captains, everybody outside the temple is on his knees, incense in hand, waiting for the exit of Tachia Ma in her palanquin. The temple drum begins to boom, the huge temple bell starts to ring, then suddenly ten sonas join in with their soulful blast - all this amidst the explosions of firecrackers and rockets. Suddenly the captain signals "it's time." The temple gates are thrown open and out dance the two divine youths, followed by the dignified sway/walk of the tall generals Chien Li Yen and Shun Feng Erh - Eyes That See a Thousand Miles and Ears That Hear with the Wind respectively. Then comes the goddess' umbrella, and finally the palanquin carried by eight of Matsu's bearers with the Master Censer guiding it in between the two front poles.

After three nights and three days of walking, a combined group stretched over a mile long arrives at the sacred destination, Peikang proper. And for the next 30 hours, Peikang belongs to Tachia. In addition to mountains of gold sacrificial paper, some pigs and sheep or Hsinkang rice cakes are provided especially for the occasion.

The most important ceremony of the pilgrimage and the real reason for the trip is the incense cutting ceremony held the night before the departure of the pilgrims from Peikang. At this time the fire of the mother temple is presented to be taken back to the Tachia temple. This in essence means that the Tachia goddess is strengthened by the spirit of Peikang's Matsu and reconfirms the former's ties with the latter.

When the pilgrims return to Tachia, a huge welcoming performance group, including stilt walkers, comedians, lion dancers, dragon dancers, martial artists, bands and skit actors receive them on the outskirts. The palanquin then is paraded through the town and taken to the temple later amidst wild explosions of firecrackers and rockets.