Taipei, Feb. 12 (CNA) The annual Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage began in Miaoli County early Sunday, with more than 110,000 worshippers set to attend the nine-day event, one of the largest annual religious processions in Taiwan.
Staff writer, with CNAThe annual Baishatun Matsu Pilgrimage began early yesterday in Miaoli County, with more than 110,000 worshipers expected to attend the nine-day event, one of Taiwan’s largest religious processions.
Organizers were celebrating record attendance at the Baishatun Matsu procession, which completed a week-long journey when it returned to Gongtian Temple (拱天宮) in Miaoli County’s Tongsiao Township (通霄鎮) on Friday.
Despite restrictions during a COVID-19 outbreak, with organizers permitting registration only for people who provided evidence of having had three COVID-19 vaccine shots, 98,000 people signed up, said Hong Wen-hua (洪文華), a member of the temple’s management committee.
People who registered paid a fee and received armbands, hats, decals and other items, Hong said, adding 80,000 people registered last year.
Health officials had expressed concern about such large group activities.
Miaoli County Commissioner Hsu
[ LETTERS ]
Tsai must take climate action
As a consultant for the government and having attended the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meetings for the past 21 years, I would like to urge President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to take ambitious action on climate change and declare Taiwan’s target for net-zero carbon emissions; more and more leaders are doing so around the world.
Taiwan is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, but also very vulnerable to the effects of climate change, as we are witnessing a water shortage crisis.
Yet Taiwan also has the financial and technological capacity to deal with climate change, and to help others to do so.