Flood of Faith at Peikang
By Chirstopher Logan
This year, the month of May is a great time to see one of Taiwan's oldest and most important Matsu Temples. From humble beginnings in 1694, this ancient center of worship has grown into an ornate and cherished landmark. A host of festivities proceed Matsu's birthday, which falls on the 23rd day of the third lunar month (May 10). The town of Peikang will be overwhelmed by waves of pilgrims arriving to praise and make prayers to this beloved goddess.
Legends say Matsu was a real woman, born along the Fukien coast in A.D. 960. An exceptional girl, she didn't cry as a infant and became a vegetarian at an early age. Matsu also chose a chaste life, and devoted herself to the study of Buddhist texts. When she was 16, a sage immortal climbed out of an old well and handed her a magic amulet, which she thereafter used to heal the sick and bring rain.
That would have made her popular enough, but she is best known as the protector of sailors and fishermen. Once, in a dream, she saw her father and brother, who had gone out fishing, in a capsizing boat. Using her magic powers, she went to them and caught one under each arm. Just then, her mother startled her and she dropped her brother. Later, word arrived that her brother had drowned but that her father had miraculously survived.
At the age of 29, she informed her parents that it was her time to leave the world, and walked up a mountain into the clouds. Yet her reputation only increased, and many sailors who cried out to her in distress were saved. From her home town of Meichou, Matsu's cult spread up and down the south coast of China. Men who made their living on the sea built temples to her wherever they sailed. Hailed as Mother of Heaven and Goddess of the Sea, hundreds of temples have been erected in her honor in Taiwan alone.
Spectacular Artwork
All early immigrants came to Taiwan by boat--sometimes through rough seas--and were grateful to arrive safely in the new land. One of Taiwan's earliest ports was Peikang, and settlers began construction on a Matsu temple almost as soon as there were houses in the area. It was just a small thatched-roof shrine at first, but grew in splendor as the town matured.
Foreigners are among the figures portrayed in Chaotien Temple's sculpture, indicationg Taiwan's early contact with the West.
"It's still not finished," quips Wu Hsiang (吳祥), a manager at Chaotien Temple.Beautiful stone dragon pillars inside the main building were carved in 1775, and a lot of the inner construction dates from the Ching dynasty (A.D. 1644-1911). In addition to ornate stone and wood carvings, the temple features delicate antique figurines made of Chiaochih pottery (交趾陶), Taiwan's own unique sculpture medium.
Like most of the island's temples, Chaotien Temple is built in the South Fukienese style. Its swallow-tail roofs are mounted with tiny statues of auspicious animals and legendary heroes. In fact, this temple supports an unusually lush "growth" of these statues. Some are old, some fairly recent, and they reflect the styles of many masters.
"The old ones are made of clay, but now we use glass," says Chi Jen-chih (紀仁智), the temple's master of rites. "Glass pieces catch the sun, and the colors are brighter." Shining phoenix and dragon statues decorate the newer roofs, one of Chaotien Temple's few concessions to the modern age.
While Matsu is the temple's main deity, there are also side altars for the Earth God, the Goddess of Fertility, and so forth. There's even a giant golden crab at one altar that symbolizes success in examinations. With glowing incense sticks in their hands, the faithful make a circle around the entire complex before stopping to honor particular altars.
Market stalls line all the streets around Chaotien Temple. Even on normal weekends they do quite a volume of business, hawking food and souvenirs to visitors. Handicrafts of all sorts, from feather fans and wooden toys to enormous porcelain jars, are sold in the area, and there are dozens of noodle shops and small restaurants. Because it's a temple neighborhood, vegetarian cafeterias can also be found.
A lot of pilgrims seem to prefer dining on a series of the town's famous snacks, available on all streets around the temple. One local specialty is Ox Tongue Biscuits, named for their shape, not the filling, which is sweet and meatless. Try candied sweet potatoes or goose eggs boiled in tea. Dried fruits like longans, olives, and salted plums are also popular.
Waves of Pilgrims
Weekends during the third lunar month are the best time to go, when hundreds of groups from temples all over Taiwan bring their own images to commune with the Peikang Matsu, making the town a riot of religious activities in the days prior to Matsu's birthday. Besides the amazing sights in the temple, an army of vendors outside present one of the best possible selections of unusual, traditional products. Any weekend will do.
This year the place will be a madhouse on the 6th and 7th of May. Thousands of firecrackers will rip through the streets. Costumed actors will be walking around on stilts, and ten-foot-high puppets, worn by strong young men, will imitate famous heroes like the God of War, strutting up and down and bowing to the immense throng of visitors. The excuse? Matsu's annual inspection tour around Peikang town.
The temple statue will be carefully secured in a special sedan chair and carried around from street to street in great ceremony. Oddly enough, Matsu will be jostled violently on the chair, not out of irreverence but to gather "chi." At various stops, there will be lion dances and lots of fireworks.
Peikuan musicians, the "temple band," will play raucous melodies on reed trumpets, accompanied by pounding drums and gongs. This is to scare away evil and mediocre psychic forces (ghosts). After the percussion instruments, trumpets and fireworks have done their work, the area is "clean" and righteous energy will prevail for the year to come. If you want to get close to the action, a motorcycle helmet, or at least protective goggles, are recommended. Celebrants will be lighting fireworks by the crate-load, and skyrockets will light up the rowdy streets. Yet everybody will be in a happy and friendly mood, and may invite you to join their merrymaking.
Formal Birthday Celebration
Another more formal celebration is scheduled for Matsu's birthday on May 10th. Participants will rise early and don old-style clothes. Assembling at Chaotien Temple, they will perform rites in the traditional style. This is a prayer meeting, essentially, and includes thanks to Matsu's parents, whose goodness allowed her to be born into the world and to achieve her high position.
The ceremony begins at 6 a.m. and lasts only an hour, so you may need to make arrangements with the temple in advance if you want to see it. There probably is no better chance all year for a visitor to experience the throbbing pulse of Taiwan's folk culture. A schedule of all temple activities is available (in Chinese) by fax: (05) 782-0140.
From Taipei, the easiest way to reach Chaotien Temple is by taking a train to Chiayi. Outside the Chiayi train station take the Peikang bus (北港線). Fengtien Temple, in Hsinkang, is on the same line, a couple of stops before Chaotien Temple. Though not as ornate as the one in Peikang, Fengtien Temple is attractive and old. It dates from 1811. From either bus stop, it is about a five-minute walk to the temple you seek. Never fear. Anyone can direct you to these famous
錄自中華民國觀光月刊
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