You might love Taiwan or be interested in Taoism culture because you visited this website. I think it's a bit rare, I know, most foreign tourists will not join in activities of Taoism, but just visit Taoism temples in Taiwan. So, I appreciate your visiting this website.
In reality, even people who have visited Taiwan several times don't know the religious event which is Mazu pilgrimage. However, I believe this is exactly the event that you can experience real pleasure in Taiwan.
Perhaps, you can't speak Taiwanese, you don't know Taoism well, you don't have enough physical strength...... You might have these kinds of anxieties, but it's not a big matter. Please have the courage to join it, and I promise you can see the new world in front of you.
Actually, I'm a foreigner as well. I know, it's not so easy for us to get information. So, I decided to build this website in English. Mainly, this website introduces information about pilgrimages for beginners.
I came to Taiwan for work. After the event got over, I extended my stay in Taiwan.
I'm going to explain the pilgrimage by walking plainly. It's an activity to let God sit on a portable temple, and walk more than 100km to a destination and back with many believers.
You might think why I was so attracted by it though I am a foreigner and not a believer of Taoism. I can tell you it's a sense of unity that many people go ahead to the same goal, a sense of sacredness which walks with God, above all an existence of people who support us.
Regardless of the time, many people offer us who are walking, food、drink and a place to rest and others. Especially, when we come into a city area, they continually say to us, "please eat this" "Please take it".
People who are walking can't have so many, as it's heavy. We don't have more stuff than necessary and decline others. But we get power from their mind of backup and can keep walking.
"An excursion" that we walk with many people, "a festival" that we can enjoy music and fireworks, "asceticism" that we walk a long distance, "a belief" that we are with God, "a contact" that we come into contact with local residents. "Pilgrimage by walk" is full of elements like these.
As I would like to taste this feeling, I will head for a road of pilgrimage again and again.
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