On the ninth day of the first month of the lunar calendar (Feb. 13 this year) members of the Hsuan Yuan Chiao sect, led by their founder, Wang Han-sheng, held their annual ceremony.
When the service started at noon, 700 followers of the religious group, wearing yellow robes, completed the hour-long sacrament according to complex rules.
Hsuan Yuan Chiao, a new sect established in Taiwan in 1957, has set cultural renaissance as its goal, while its main creed is respect for heaven and ancestors. The sect now has 80,000 followers, 16 dioceses, four temples and a branch in Hong Kong.
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1. Wang Han-sheng, founder of Hsuan Yuan Chiao, presides over the ceremony. 2. Over 700 faithful gathered at public square in front of the Tamsui temple for the sacrament.
Over 700 faithful gathered at public square in front of the Tamsui temple for the sacrament.