Pilgrimage to start April 9 after Matsu consulted Staff writer, with CNA The annual Dajia Matsu Pilgrimage, the largest annual religious procession in Taiwan, is to take place from April 9 to April 18, the event’s organizers said on Friday. To determine the dates, Yen Ching-piao (顏清標), the chairman of Jenn Lann Temple (鎮瀾宮) in Taichung’s Dajia District (大甲), sought advice from the sea goddess Matsu in a ritual to clebrate her birthday, the temple said. Three of its Matsu statues are to be placed in a palanquin at 3pm on April 9, and the procession would formally begin at 11:05pm, the temple said. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was postponed last year from March to June.