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Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage
The Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage () is usually held annually between lunar January and April in the western plains of Taiwan, a major Taoist religious event since 1863. After every lunar new year, the Mazu statue of Gongtian Temple () at Baishatun, Tongxiao of Miaoli County, is placed in a palanquin and carried in procession to visit another Mazu Temple- Chaotian Temple (), located in the area of Beigang of Yunlin County, then returns to Gongtian Temple to end this pilgrimage. The distance covered is approximately 400 km total. There is another Mazu statue, called "Mazu of the Mountain Side ()", from Houlong Township () of Miaoli county, that would accompany Baishatun Mazu during the pilgrimage as well. Feature Mazu, also spelled as "Matsu", known as a sea goddess who blesses the fishermen with a safe journey during sailing, is widely revered by believers in Taiwan because of her merciful image. Therefore, the Mazu pilgrimage is one of the popular religious activities in Taiw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinese Calendar
The traditional Chinese calendar (also known as the Agricultural Calendar 曆; 农历; ''Nónglì''; 'farming calendar' Former Calendar 曆; 旧历; ''Jiùlì'' Traditional Calendar 曆; 老历; ''Lǎolì'', is a lunisolar calendar which identifies years, months, and days according to astronomical phenomena. In China, it is defined by the Chinese national standard GB/T 33661–2017, "Calculation and Promulgation of the Chinese Calendar", issued by the Standardization Administration of China on May 12, 2017. Although modern-day China uses the Gregorian calendar, the traditional Chinese calendar governs holidays, such as the Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival, in both China and overseas Chinese communities. It also provides the traditional Chinese nomenclature of dates within a year which people use to select auspicious days for weddings, funerals, moving or starting a business. The evening state-run news program ''Xinwen Lianbo'' in the P.R.C. continues to anno ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tongxiao, Miaoli
Tongxiao Township is an urban township in southern Miaoli County, Taiwan. It lies between the Taiwan Strait on the west and mountains on the east. History The town was formerly called ''Thunsiau'' (). Geography *Area: * Population: 35,389 (January 2017 estimate) Administrative divisions The township comprises 24 villages: Baitung, Baixi, Chengbei, Chengnan, Fengshu, Fulong, Fuxing, Fuyuan, Meinan, Nanhe, Neidao, Neihu, Pingan, Pingding, Pingyuan, Tongnan, Tongtung, Tongwan, Tongxi, Wubei, Wumei, Wunan, Xinpu and Zuntou. Politics The township is part of Miaoli County Constituency I electoral district for Legislative Yuan. Tourist attractions * Flying Cow Ranch * Gongtian Temple * Taiyen Tongxiao Tourism Factory * Tongxiao Beach Resort * Tongxiao Electrodialysis Salt Factory * Tongxiao Jinja * Tongxiao Shrine * Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage Transportation * TRA Baishatun Station * TRA Tongxiao Station * TRA Xinpu Station Taiwan High Speed Rail passes through the c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chaotian Temple
The Chaotian or Chaotien Temple, officially the Chao-Tian Temple,. & is a temple to the Chinese Goddess Mazu in Beigang Township, Yunlin County, Taiwan. Constructed in 1700, it became one of the most important Mazu temples in Taiwan and is known for its extravagant temple architecture. It is visited by more than a million pilgrims every year. Mazuism Mazu, the deified form of the medieval Lin Moniang from Fujian, has an enthusiastic following on Taiwan. Beigang was one of the most important Taiwanese ports in the 17th century. As Beigang and its economy grew, at the same time the temple grew and expanded. Today the Chaotian Temple at Beigang is an important religious site and pilgrimage destination. Beigang's Mazu tours to other Mazu temples through whole Taiwan every year for visits and inspections. History In 1694, a Buddhist monk named Shubi requested that a statue of Mazu be brought to Beigang from the Chaotian Temple in her hometown of Meizhou in Fujian. In 1700, Ch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south. The territories controlled by the ROC consist of 168 islands, with a combined area of . The main island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', has an area of , with mountain ranges dominating the eastern two-thirds and plains in the western third, where its highly urbanised population is concentrated. The capital, Taipei, forms along with New Taipei City and Keelung the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Other major cities include Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung. With around 23.9 million inhabitants, Taiwan is among the most densely populated countries in the world. Taiwan has been settled for at least 25,000 years. Ancestors of Taiwanese indigenous peoples settled the isla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taoism
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of Philosophy, philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of China, Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' (, 'Thoroughfare'); the ''Tao'' is generally defined as the source of everything and the ultimate principle underlying reality. The ''Tao Te Ching'', a book containing teachings attributed to Laozi (), together with the later Zhuangzi (book), writings of Zhuangzi, are both widely considered the keystone works of Taoism. Taoism teaches about the various disciplines for achieving perfection through self-cultivation. This can be done through the use of Taoist techniques and by becoming one with the unplanned rhythms of the all, called "the way" or "Tao". Taoist ethics vary depending on the particular school, but in general tend to emphasize ''wu wei'' (action without intention), naturalness, simplicity, spontaneity and the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mazu
Mazu or Matsu is a Chinese sea goddess also known by several other names and titles. She is the deified form of the legendary figure Lin Mo or Lin Moniang, a Fujianese shamaness whose life span is traditionally dated from 960 to 987. Revered after her death as a tutelary deity of seafarers, including fishermen and sailors, her worship spread throughout China's coastal regions and overseas Chinese communities throughout Southeast Asia and overseas, where some Mazuist temples are affiliated with famous Taiwanese temples. She was thought to roam the seas, protecting her believers through miraculous interventions. She is now generally regarded by her believers as a powerful and a benevolent Queen of Heaven. Mazu worship is popular in Taiwan as large numbers of early immigrants to Taiwan were Hoklo people; her temple festival is a major event in the country, with the largest celebrations around her temples at Dajia and Beigang. Names and titles In addition to Mazu.. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gongtian Temple
Baishatun Gongtian Temple () is a temple located in Baishatun, Tongxiao Township, Miaoli County, Taiwan. The temple is dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu, who is the deified form of Lin Moniang. Gongtian Temple is noted for its annual Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage, where worshippers travel to Chaotian Temple in Beigang, Yunlin on foot. History The coastal village of Baishatun was first inhabited during the reign of Qianlong Emperor, where a rudimentary temple was built here to pray for the safety of fishermen. Towards the end of Xianfeng Emperor's reign, local residents donated money to build a larger temple made of brick, which was completed in 1863 ( Tongzhi 2); this temple was named Gongtian Temple. Later, the temple was renovated twice, in 1936 and 1990, into the reinforced concrete structure today. Formerly, visitors by car must cross railway tracks and drive through tight alleys to get to Gongtian Temple, which caused congestion and traffic accidents. Therefore, in 2019, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miaoli County
Miaoli County (Mandarin Pinyin: ''miáo lì xiàn''; Hakka PFS: ''Mèu-li̍t-yen''; Hokkien POJ: ''Biâu-le̍k-koān'' or ''Miâu-le̍k-koān'') is a county in western Taiwan. Miaoli is adjacent with Hsinchu County and Hsinchu City to the north, Taichung to the south, and borders the Taiwan Strait to the west. Miaoli is classified as a county in central Taiwan by the National Development Council, while the Taiwan Central Weather Bureau classifies Miaoli as a county in northern Taiwan. Miaoli City is the capital of the county, and is also known as "Mountain Town", owing to the number of mountains nearby, making it a destination for hiking. Name The name ''Miaoli'' was coined by matching Hakka Chinese sound for the characters 貓貍 to the phonetically approximate ''Pali'' (''Bari'') from the Taokas language. The resulting word () is a widespread but non-orthodox variant referring to Viverridae. In 1889, during late Qing rule, the name was modified from various forms () to its ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beigang, Yunlin
Beigang, Hokkō or Peikang is an urban township in Yunlin County, Taiwan. It is primarily known for its Chaotian Temple, one of the most prominent Temples of Mazu on Taiwan. It has a population of 37,899 as of September 2022. Geography The Beigang River borders the town on the east and south. History Dutch Formosa During the Dutch era, ''Ponkan'' () was an important coastal castle. In 1621, Pedro Yan Shiqi (顏思齊) from Zhangzhou, Fujian and his forces occupied Ponkan (modern-day Beigang) and started to develop Tsulosan (諸羅山; today's Chiayi City), which grew to become the capital of Tsulo County in 1704. Administrative divisions The township comprises 28 villages: Caohu, Dabei, Datong, Fupan, Fuzhao, Gongguan, Gongrong, Gouzao, Guangfu, Guangmin, Haoshou, Hougou, Huasheng, Liucuo, Nanan, Pangou, Renan, Renhe, Shuipu, Shujiao, Sifu, Tunghua, Tungyang, Xincuo, Xinjie, Xishi, Yimin and Zhonghe. Education The China Medical University has a branch in Beigang. Beigan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yunlin County
Yunlin County (Mandarin pinyin: ''Yúnlín Xiàn''; Taigi POJ: ''Hûn-lîm-koān''; Hakka PFS: ''Yùn-lìm-yen'') is a county in western Taiwan. Yunlin County borders the Taiwan Strait to the west, Nantou County to the east, Changhua County to the north at the Zhuoshui River, and Chiayi County to the south at the Beigang River. Yunlin is part of the Chianan Plain, a flat land known for its agriculture. Agricultural products of Yunlin County include pomelo, tea leaves, suan cai, papaya and muskmelon. Yunlin's rivers give it potential for hydroelectricity. Douliu is the largest and capital city of Yunlin. It is the only county on the main island of Taiwan where no city with the same name exists. North–South divide in Taiwan#Northern drifters (beipiao), Yunlin is one of the least developed counties on the West coast, and suffers from emigration. History Dutch Formosa During the Dutch Formosa era, ''Ponkan'' (modern-day Beigang, Yunlin, Beigang) was an important coastal castl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Houlong
Houlong Township is an urban township in western Miaoli County, Taiwan. It is bordered by the Taiwan Strait on the west and Zaoqiao Township on the east. It lies at the mouth of the Houlong River. Miaoli HSR station is located in Houlong. Name The township's name originates from that of a Taiwanese Plains Aborigines settlement. During the Kingdom of Tungning, the area was called ''Aulangsia'' (). Other variants of ''Aulang'' existed (e.g., ). In 1920, during Japanese rule, the place was renamed , under , Shinchiku Prefecture. This name closely matched the Japanese pronunciation of the previous names but with different ''kanji'' (Chinese characters). This written form was retained after the Kuomintang takeover of Taiwan in 1945; the characters are pronounced ''Hòulóng'' in Mandarin Chinese. The Taiwanese Hokkien pronunciation remains ''Āu-lâng'', based on the pre-1920 name. Geography * Area: * Population: 37,228 (January 2017 estimate) It lies at the mouth of the Houlo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage
The Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage is an annual celebration of the Taoist sea goddess Mazu held in Taiwan. During the festival, a statue of Mazu is placed in a litter and carried by foot on a round-trip journey from Jenn Lann Temple in Dajia, Taichung to Fengtian Temple in Xingang, Chiayi, stopping at many more temples along the way. The festival lasts for nine days and attracts large crowds of pilgrims, who travel alongside the litter. History Meizhou pilgrimages The pilgrimage began during the reign of Yongzheng Emperor near the temple's founding in 1730 when Lin Yongxing (林永興) migrated from Meizhou Island to Dajia. Lin brought a copy of Mazu from the goddess' original temple, , and worshipped her at an altar in his home. According to Chinese folk religion, copies of a deity must periodically revisit their predecessor to pay respects and "recharge" their spiritual energy, in a ritual known as ''jinxiang'' (進香). For this reason, every twelve years, Lin and other worshippe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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