Every year, hundreds of thousands of people participate in one of Taiwan's largest annual religious events: the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage. Pilgrims walk for nine days and eight nights in honor of Mazu, the sea goddess. We follow one group as they take the long journey.
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00:00Crowds gather in front of Zhenlan Temple in central Taiwan to watch Mazu, goddess of the sea, set out.
00:17Beginning one of Taiwan's largest annual religious pilgrimages.
00:21Inside this sedan chair sit three small Mazu statues.
00:28They will be carried on foot for nine days and eight nights, from this temple in Dajia, their home,
00:34all the way to Jiayi in southern Taiwan and back, around 340 kilometers in all.
00:44Along her journey, Mazu will be joined by hundreds of thousands of followers,
00:48walking in honor of a goddess who means so much to so many in Taiwan.
01:01Hours before Mazu's departure, people are already arriving from all over Taiwan and the world,
01:07many getting ready to walk part or all of the pilgrimage.
01:11Some pilgrims walk alone, some with family or friends, others join organized groups.
01:34These pilgrims, with their purple hats, call themselves the beginner group.
01:38The group's goal is to help first-time pilgrims navigate the journey.
01:43The group was officially founded in 2016.
01:46Every year, first-time pilgrims sign up online to walk with the group.
01:50Group leaders, who are more experienced, guide them and teach them everything they need to know.
01:54food to know.
01:55We actually like when we are in charge of Mazu's new people.
01:58Let people here know who with whom you are, and join in this活動.
02:02When I wanted Mazu's to be a new person,
02:05and I have been a new person.
02:08I have been a new person and been a new person,
02:10I have been so far from my left but no one can call.
02:12The reason that I joined Mazu is that I am having Mazu's power,
02:16Now, the beginner group is making final preparations to hit the road,
02:33including visiting Zhenlan Temple one last time to let Mazu know they're setting off,
02:38a ritual known as getting on the horse.
02:46Some pilgrims carry flags.
03:04On them, they collect stamps and yellow papers at every temple they pass on their journey,
03:09starting from this one.
03:16Collecting these from each temple means you're bringing the protection and divine energy
03:23of those gods along with you.
03:32And now, at around 3 p.m., the beginner group is ready to start the pilgrimage.
03:37The group is starting their journey hours before Mazu herself departs.
04:01Like most pilgrims, the group aims to stay ahead of Mazu's sedan chair for most of the trip
04:05because they need time to sleep and eat along the way,
04:08which means their pace will be much slower than the goddesses.
04:11Once you fall behind Mazu, they say, it's hard to catch up
04:14because Mazu's bearers can switch out along the journey, so they're very fast.
04:23This year, the beginner group is around 30 people,
04:26including first-timers as well as more experienced pilgrims who have volunteered to guide them.
04:30Some will walk just a few days.
04:33Others will walk the entire journey.
04:36Each has different reasons for being here.
04:38Mazu's bearers come up when Mazu was out for a treatment.
04:39This does not want to be a need for Mazu.
04:41Mazu's bearers come up with him.
04:41Mazu's bearers come up with me.
04:42Mazu's bearers come up with me while I can do it.
04:48The presently process is where I can drive home to Mazu.
04:50I can move to the修正 in the future of my life.
05:00Mazu's bearers come up with Mazu.
05:01I was going to have to tell my mother to go to St.南宮.
05:05If she can have a child, she can have a child.
05:09If she can have a child, she can have a child.
05:13I would like to walk in a walk.
05:19It's just like I'm playing.
05:26I feel like this is my mother.
05:29Because when you have a new idea
05:34You need to help you with the first thing
05:37I hope you can find you with your friends and friends
05:42You want to talk to your friends
05:44You want to talk to your friends?
05:47I want to talk to you
05:59I want to talk to you
06:05I want to talk to you
06:06First of all
06:18It's nearing midnight on the first day of the pilgrimage, and the beginner group has
06:44finally almost reached their rest stop.
06:47They've walked around nine hours south, or about 20 kilometers, to Longjing in Taichung.
06:52They're still ahead of Mazu, who at this point has just left Zhenlan Temple.
07:00The group's rest stop for the night is this convenience store, where they'll shut their
07:03eyes for around three hours.
07:17It's around 3.30 a.m.
07:38The beginner group has at least eight hours of walking to do, to get from here to their
07:44next rest stop.
07:45All their rest stops are planned out in advance.
07:50They need to follow a strict time schedule, sleeping only a few hours at a time, to make
07:54sure they can stay ahead of Mazu's sedan share.
07:59They often try to walk late at night or early in the morning, to avoid the midday heat.
08:03The beginner group stops in many temples along their way, where they can add more stamps and
08:28yellow papers to their pilgrimage flag.
08:41As they trudge along, Mazu is hours behind, always surrounded by crowds of people.
08:53Legend has it, Mazu was a real person, born in the 10th century on Meizhou Island along
08:58the southeast coast of China.
09:01She was thought to have divine powers.
09:03And when she died, the story goes, she became a goddess.
09:07Over the centuries, her influence grew, spreading all across China and eventually to Taiwan, first
09:13brought over to the island by Chinese immigrants.
09:16Experts say Mazu's influence spread especially quickly while Taiwan was ruled by the Qing dynasty,
09:21which worked to promote belief in the goddess.
09:24Now there are around a thousand large Mazu temples in Taiwan.
09:28And while initially people prayed to her primarily for things involving water, now people turned
09:33to her for everything.
09:35Send her to everything.
09:37Mazu's jullie依겁, it lets you care about your region.
09:39And these are what you care about in your hometowns, we need to love to understand other people.
09:47And then to bring some of those thoughts and religious relations to the city to other communities.
09:52We need to deal with the other community.
09:53If I take a time and I take a time and I take a time and I take an opportunity to live in Taiwan
09:56to other people.
09:58It has a combination of the power of the society that caused the society's destruction.
10:05It's a combination of the power of the society that caused the society's destruction.
10:14Here, on these roads, the goddess's impact is obvious,
10:18as pilgrims persevere through long, hard days of walking.
10:22But for some in the beginner group, the exhaustion is starting to take a toll.
10:29I can't feel it. I just want to go home.
10:33My mind is empty. I don't know what to do now.
10:37I don't know why I'm here.
10:39When the group stops briefly to rest, one pilgrim is so tired that he immediately falls asleep.
10:58At last, at around noon, they reach their next rest stop, where they can sleep for a few hours.
11:18Nice.
11:19I'm gonna go home.
11:20This is cold.
11:21It's cold.
11:22Now I'm washing the boiler.
11:24It's cold.
11:25It's cold.
11:28It's cold.
11:29I'm wet.
11:30I'm wet.
11:31I'm wet.
11:32It's cold, so it could be fine.
11:34It's cold.
11:35It's cold.
11:36It's cold.
11:37Here...
11:38It's cold.
11:39It's cold.
11:41It's cold.
11:42You're cold.
11:47As the group faces exhaustion, they are also met with kindness from many, many strangers
12:03along the way, who give up their own time and money to support the pilgrims in any way
12:08that they can.
12:10At all hours of the day and night, people stand on the side of the road to pass out
12:14free food and drinks. Some set up stalls on their own or with family or friends. Others
12:20are organized by temples or businesses.
12:24The food is cooked fresh. Other people offer free massages or set up showers along the road
12:31or places for people to soak their feet and clean their blisters.
12:36Many of these volunteers feel they are acting on behalf of Mazu herself. This food table
12:42has put up a sign that reads Mazu's Treat.
12:57Some even offer up their homes or businesses for people to sleep in. Like this woman who
13:02welcomes people into this building that she owns to rest for as long as they like.
13:07Last year, she said around 100 people slept here every day.
13:14The beginner group will also rest here for a few hours. As they finish day two of the pilgrimage.
13:22It's believed that Mazu makes this pilgrimage every year, so that she can celebrate her
13:27and celebrate her.
13:29The beginner group will also rest here for a few hours. As they finish day two of the pilgrimage.
13:37It's believed that Mazu makes this pilgrimage every year, so that she can celebrate her birthday
13:53with the Mazu at Fengtian Temple in Jiayi, which is the farthest point of the journey.
13:58In Taiwanese Taoism, one god can have many spirits with different personalities.
14:03The Fengtian Mazu and Zhenlan Mazu are said to be sisters.
14:07When Mazu arrives on the fourth day of the pilgrimage, the three Mazu statues that have
14:24ridden all the way from Zhenlan Temple are taken out of their sedan chair and passed,
14:29person to person, up to where the Fengtian Mazu is sitting.
14:33Here, the sisters are reunited. The small Zhenlan Mazu statues sitting in front and the Fengtian Mazu behind them.
14:49The next day, the fifth day of the pilgrimage, huge crowds gather for what is effectively a massive birthday party for the goddess.
15:04Mazu is the most widely worshipped god in Taiwan. And because of her importance to Taiwanese people,
15:10she's often involved in many parts of society here. Politicians will participate in events at Mazu temples
15:16to win votes or gain popularity, with some temples known to lean towards one party or another.
15:22Activists bring Mazu statues to anti-nuclear and anti-pollution protests.
15:27The goddess has even been used by China as a tool in their efforts to take Taiwan,
15:32which they consider part of their territory.
15:35But most of these pilgrims are not here for politics. They're here because of their devotion to the goddess.
16:02For many in the beginner group, the highlight of the pilgrimage is the day after the birthday party,
16:16because this is the day they may have a chance to get close to Mazu's sedan chair.
16:21After walking ahead of her for most of the trip, the group has decided to wait for Mazu on their way back up north,
16:27coming together in Xizhou, where early in the morning, they anticipate smaller crowds.
16:34We are waiting for Mazu to see Mazu.
16:41Today is my hope to see Mazu.
16:44I am very happy! I am excited, we are going to go to the presidential party.
16:49We are going to the presidential party to the presidential party.
16:52We are going to be at the presidential party.
16:55At the end of the meeting, this meeting is a very wonderful evening to have a live tent.
17:13I want you to get this depart.
17:19I want you to celebrate and celebrate!
17:22We're going to have a lot of power in our body.
17:29We're going to have a lot of power in our body.
17:35We're going to have a good luck through the church.
17:39Our mother is like our mother.
17:42The church is like being抱抱.
17:46I'm happy to have a seat.
17:51You can have a seat.
17:53You can have a seat and a seat.
17:56You can have a seat.
17:58You can have a seat.
18:00You can have a seat.
18:02So we have to wait so long.
18:04We have to wait for this opportunity.
18:06So I'm happy that I have received it.
18:08I'm happy to have a seat.
18:13I'm happy to have a seat.
18:16When you have a信仰
18:19and you're in the church,
18:22you feel very close.
18:25You can tell your heart.
18:38Here, on the eighth day of the pilgrimage,
18:52pilgrims near the end of their journey.
18:55And there's a sense of joy and celebration in the air.
18:58I'm happy.
19:00I'm happy.
19:01I'm happy.
19:02I'm happy.
19:03I'm happy.
19:04I'm happy.
19:06Among the crowds is a tiger deity on a stroller.
19:10He usually lives in this pilgrim's home,
19:12but today he's out enjoying the atmosphere.
19:15I'm happy to have friends.
19:17There are a lot of churches.
19:19There are a lot of people who invite their friends.
19:22He's happy.
19:24He's very happy.
19:25Yes.
19:26On the pilgrimage,
19:27it's common for people to bring other gods out
19:29to journey with them.
19:30Many bring their own small mazu statues.
19:33Taiwan's mazu is a
19:35反映 the people,
19:38and the faith of the people's needs.
19:42The mazu is more powerful.
19:45It only affects the多元 of the Taiwanese people.
19:49But here is where the beginner group's journey together will come to an end.
20:10Who will stay here?
20:12Who will stay here?
20:13Who will stay here?
20:14Who will stay here?
20:15Who will stay here?
20:16Who will stay here?
20:17Who will stay here?
20:18Who will stay here?
20:19At this point,
20:20there are only around 10 people remaining.
20:22They will finish the last few hours of the journey on their own time.
20:26We will finish the journey together with them.
20:28We are happy.
20:29It's not that bad.
20:30Not that bad.
20:31It's not that bad.
20:32It's not that bad.
20:33It's not that bad.
20:34It's not that bad.
20:35It's not that bad.
20:36It's not that bad.
20:37We are in this kind of life.
20:39We are in a family life.
20:40We are in a family.
20:42You are in the next day.
20:43You are in the self-consciousness.
20:46You are in your life.
20:47You are in a self-consciousness.
20:48You have to talk to yourself.
20:49The front is the end.
20:50Don't be shy.
20:51It's not that bad.
20:52This is what I think is the feeling of the mazu.
20:54This feeling of the mazu.
20:59We are all in the family.
21:01We are in the family.
21:02We are in the family.
21:03We are in the family.
21:04we are in the family.
21:07And the heart is the last day.
21:09We are in the world.
21:11You are in the way.
21:13You have to think,
21:14every place in the territory will do our family.
21:17We have that love,
21:18love, that love.
21:20You are so happy.
21:21Every day every day,
21:22you will think about it.
21:23Every day one day.
21:24Every day one day.
21:25Just once again.
21:26You may be home to the people.
21:27We will say goodbye.
21:28Bye bye.
21:30Bye bye.
21:31Bye bye.
21:34While others will stay to rest for a while, these two group members have decided to leave now
21:40to push through the final leg of the journey to Jianlan Temple,
21:44where everything started just eight days ago.
21:53At the end of their journey, they must let Mazhu know they're leaving,
21:56or getting off the horse, as it's known in Chinese.
22:04I'm here to lift the horse, and all my progress to this.
22:09I'm now ready to go with this move.
22:13Thanks!
22:14I hope your days will be sanado as Lucy,
22:19and I hope you can be healthy and healthy and peace.
22:22I hope everyone will happy and peace and peace with us.
22:29Thank you!
22:34Mazu, in her sedan chair, won't reach Jenlan Temple until tomorrow, but her presence is
22:43felt even still.
22:45Not just here, but across Taiwan, where in small towns and big cities alike, many people
22:52will be able to tell you a story about Mazu.
22:55How she helped them, how she connected them with others, how she affected their lives.
23:01So in many ways, the story of Mazu is also the story of every Taiwanese person who has
23:07ever been touched by the sea goddess.