A procession honoring a feast day of the Virgin Mary took place at Taiwan's oldest surviving Catholic church in the southern county of Pingtung over the weekend, bringing out thousands of people. The annual event involves a unique fusion of eastern and western faith traditions.
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00:00The Virgin Mary, seated in a sedan chair, is carried through the streets of a small
00:06village in Pingtung, southern Taiwan. This is the Madonna Procession, the largest Catholic
00:12parade in the country, held annually on December 8. The date marks the anniversary of when
00:18the church that holds the ceremony was established, and coincides with the Catholic holiday honoring
00:24the Virgin Mary, the church's patron saint.
00:28The Virgin Mary Procession is a tradition of Catholicism. It symbolizes the love of
00:37the Virgin and the love of the world.
00:41The parade begins at Wanjing Basilica, the oldest Catholic church in Taiwan, dating back
00:47to the 1860s. Unlike other Catholic processions, this one is a grand celebration that blends
00:55both Catholic rituals and local Taiwanese customs. The fusion is most evident in the
01:01Virgin Mary's perch atop the sedan chair, similar to how deities are paraded around
01:06for traditional temple celebrations. But there are other unique cultural elements as well.
01:26During the procession, around 50 volunteers take turns carrying the Virgin Mary through
01:40the streets. Her chair is said to weigh between five to six hundred kilograms.
01:55It is not only the volunteers who feel the honor and significance of the event. Thousands
02:10of people from all walks of life also joined the festivities.
02:26Taiwan is also host to a growing number of Filipinos, who are often Catholic themselves.
02:36For those that can join, the event helps them feel a bit closer to home.
02:55I have been coming to Taiwan for 27 years, and every celebration of Immaculate Conception,
03:02I attend this mass every year.
03:05We Catholics are family-oriented. We want to know our family, our children, especially
03:11we are married to Taiwanese. We want to educate them with Catholicism and our faith. Our faith
03:25we strengthen, even though we are here in Taiwan.
03:34Although the parade has concluded, festivities at this church will continue all throughout
03:39December. Christmas celebrations will keep the village lit up, spreading hope, peace
03:43and love in a joyful way to bid farewell to 2024.