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