Putting down the telephone, I could not but feel a little dumbfounded. For a professional journalist this was without doubt a feeling of being valued but not respected.

Lo Wei-hsin of Hsiang Shang Broadcasting has just finished filming 39 programs for public television, and her opinion of this conversation was that it was something that had become a frequent occurrence for her very early on. "The less famous temples are especially like this," she added.

The power of the media: With their solemn rituals, sincere believers, rich and beautiful arts and music, and exciting atmosphere, temple ceremonies have always attracted the attention of the media. "This year's Matsu pilgrimage at Tachia distributed more than one hundred passes to reporters," says Ko Chi-lin, director of Tachia's Lan Temple.

Tachia's Matsu is an example of how the media follows ceremonies, and temples use the power of the media to attract more pilgrims.

In 1971, before the enthusiasm for folk culture had really taken off, Tachia's Matsu ceremony was simple. There were only 53 hamlets taking part and around 2,000 people. Today the number of pilgrims has already reached 100,000. "What is important is that Tachia's Matsu is efficacious--oniy this can attract so many believers," Ko Chi-lin says smoothly. But he also recognizes that the large volume of media coverage in recent years is one of the main factors to have stirred up the interest.

At dawn on April 6 this year the whole country could follow the Tachia Matsu procession live for the first time. "Next year there will be even more pilgrims and devotees," says Ko Chi-lin in a serious tone.

"The budget for the activities is already nearly NT$10 million. If we do not use the media to advertise, it will be very hard to attract followers," says Chen Hsun-fa, deputy committee manager of Tainan's Luermen Temple of the Heavenly Mother. "Look at Hsinkang's Liu Hsing Temple which just shot one serial drama, 'The Black Faced Matsu,' and shot to fame in a night!" The Temple of the Heavenly Mother is well versed in the power of the media. The present broadcast of "Matsu Crosses Taiwan" was made with their assistance and, of course, it is set in the Temple of the Heavenly Mother.

Anything for the cameras: Advertising is a tool for dissemination; the media is the tool of society. If they cannot get along together with some degree of respect, it will probably be the completeness and holiness of the temple ceremonies that will be sacrificed.

Two years ago, Ilan county's Erhlung village held a traditional dragon boat race to drive out evil and bring in good fortune. By coincidence, a television company just happened to be filming a serial drama against the backdrop of the local scenery. They allowed one of their actors to go on board a dragon boat and began to direct the scene and criticize the results. At this an old man loudly scolded, "Our customs do not let outsiders on the boats. Who agreed to let them on and decide who the winner is!?"

The village leader presiding over the proceedings replied that he only wanted to let more people know about the Erhlung customs. If the old man did not understand, "then blame him for the condition of the village."

Wang Wei-chang has been observing temple ceremonies for some time and gives the following example: Some religious services used to refuse entry to outsiders and the priests could only enter after purification, so their sacred nature was obvious to behold. However, faced with the media, some temples out of "expedience" took to just burning some incense as a simple purification for the reporters. Others will just drop all protocol and do anything as soon as they see the cameras.

A marvellous stimulation: The cameras have already become a test that is damaging religious ceremonies. When important government figures approach, even the auspicious timing that is the most important aspect of any ritual is challenged. A part of Penghu's sea tour this year had to be suddenly postponed due to the late arrival of government VIPs.

The efficacy of the cameras can be seen in parliament where, just as with the temples, MPs have to put on a specially vigorous act when they face the cameras. "Every time the cameras point at them, they make a special display and become extra angry. It is really evil!" says Lo Wei-hsin, unsure about whether this is the responsibility of the media.

Yet the cameras do also have some opposite effects: When the performers get a bit slothful and lacking in vigour, they suddenly find a new source of energy as soon as they get into the lens. "It's like some marvellous stimulation!" says Lo Wei-hsin, before she goes on to raise another example.

When filming a ceremony at Yungan Temple in Ilan's Wuchie village, Lo raised some questions which the young master in charge of the ceremony was himself not too clear about. He therefore found a local elder who traced the history of the ritual back to its origins and then finally donned some ancient robes to give an authentic rendering of the ceremony.

Forgetting it exists: At times the media can influence whether a ceremony is preserved or discarded. The Pao An Temple in Taipei County's Yehliu holds a "harbor cleansing" ritual during the Lantern Festival every year, which requests the gods to come down and purify the sea.

Last year, because the temple was worried that its icon might split if it got wet, it considered not cleansing the harbor again. It had not been realized that the Hsiang Shang Broadcasting Company was making a television program and wanted to film this rare religious ritual. In the end the temple said, "If you want to film, then we will cleanse the harbor." Lo Wei-hsin at first thought that, of course, she wanted to preserve a tradition, but in the end the company dropped the filming and let the people of Yehliu decide. "We are recorders from outside, and we should respect the thinking of the local people. How can change be decided by us!?"

With such privileged power, the media must be very cautious. However, there are times during temple festivals when the media can be quite overbearing with its cameras.

At the beginning of this year, so as to get a better angle on the celebrations at the Nankun-shen pilgrims' building, a group of media workers climbed on to the top of Wan Shan Hall. It was as if they were completely unaware that they were treading on Wan Shan's head.

In order to get a good picture, you can often see reporters directing the monks at ceremonies in the most discourteous way: "Slow down! Not so fast! You others stand to the left. Can't you move those flowers on the table aside?" There are also some people who run up to the markee and move around when offerings are being made to the gods, not bothering at all about whether they might be blocking the view of the people below the altar.

No matter whether it is the temple or the media, this taboo-breaking way of carrying on is most likely unintentional and due to a lack of understanding of what reverence is. "But for the pious devotees, it is really not fair," Wang Wei-chang says gravely.

Reverence for temple ceremonies: For modern people, even the gods and sacred sites can not escape the immunity of the media. Wang Wei-chang thinks that this means media workers will probably have to practice their own self-restraint.

During Tunkang's Wang-yeh boat ceremony last autumn, Wang Wei-chang was fortunate to be outside the temple and see the feast for Wang Yeh. The sound of the Chinese trumpets inside was fierce and the melody was simple and rhythmic, creating an awesome atmosphere. "At that moment I changed my film to a high sensitivity grade and stopped using a flash because I did not want to disturb such a solemn scene," says Wang Wei-Chang.

When Matsu returns on the last day of Penghu's sea procession, she is placed high up on a scaffolding chair so that followers can pass below. Amidst the throng, our photographer had to ask a nearby shopkeeper if he could climb onto his building to get a panoramic view. We did not expect the old woman to only let the photographer ascend because he is a man. She earnestly explained, "Women must not climb up higher than Matsu." The slightest infringement would be sacrilege to Matsu and an infringement of the local customs.

This local resident moved us deeply. When you think about it, this is certainly not superstition but a meeting of the secular and the divine in one's heart, significant for its respect of tradition and the local area.

[Picture Caption]

Gods above and followers below. In order to get a good shot, media worke rs often don't take heed of such rules. (photo by Cheng Yuan-ching)

With folk customs being so important today, there is always media competition to follow temple ceremonies, and temples use the power of the media to get their names broadcast. (photo by Pu Hua-chih)

With folk customs being so important today, there is always media competition to follow temple ceremonies, and temples use the power of the media to get their names broadcast. （photo by Pu Hua-chih）