The Dajia Matsu Pilgrimage (大甲媽祖遶境), the largest annual religious procession in Taiwan, is to go ahead as planned, its organizer said yesterday, despite calls by Central Epidemic Command Center officials for the event to be postponed amid concerns over the spread of COVID-19.
The procession, which starts in Taichung’s Dajia District (大甲), is held yearly to celebrate the birthday of the sea goddess Matsu, with the Matsu statue from Jenn Lann Temple (鎮瀾宮) carried on a palanquin through central Taiwan over nine days.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gather along the more than 340km route from Taichung to Changhua, Yunlin and Chiayi counties to celebrate the occasion and receive blessings from the goddess.
Photo: Chiu Yi-chin, Taipei Times
However, as the outbreak worldwide shows no signs of abating, there have been concerns that a religious gathering of such scale could spark an outbreak in Taiwan, especially as cluster infections linked to churches have been reported in South Korea and Singapore.
After discussing the issue with temples in central Taiwan, Jenn Lann Temple chairman Yen Ching-piao (顏清標) yesterday said that unless the central government orders otherwise, the procession would be held as scheduled from March 19 to March 28.
However, several prominent events that are part of the celebration would be canceled, Yen said, including an outdoor banquet that more than 10,000 people attended last year, a concert and a ceremony at Fengtien Temple (奉天宮) in Chiayi County.
The central government has yet to provide any specific guidance on the pilgrimage.
Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥) would only say that the Ministry of the Interior believes that large religious events should be carefully assessed, and that organizers should have backup plans ready if an event needs to be postponed.
Regarding the Dajia Matsu Pilgrimage, Chen said that the ministry has communicated with temple officials, who have proposed alternatives to certain aspects of the procession, including how they would carry the palanquin.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, took a sentimental approach on the pilgrimage, calling Matsu’s followers to safeguard their own health and not “worry” the goddess.
The COVID-19 situation is “very disadvantageous” for large events, he said, adding that the unpredictability of the coronavirus has made it a significant threat that is unlikely to be contained in the short term.
Despite conceding that the center must be cautious when making a decision about the time-honored religious event, Chen Shih-chung told a news conference at the center in Taipei: “I would like to make a call regarding religious events. Matsu is benevolent. People should take care of themselves and one another during the epidemic, and not worry Matsu.”
The COVID-19 situation must not be taken lightly, so if everyone’s minds are set on helping and benefiting one another, they would be willing to accept the outcome, he said, without elaborating on the “outcome.”
The Special Act on COVID-19 Prevention, Relief and Restoration (嚴重特殊傳染性肺炎防治及紓困振興特別條例), which was passed on Tuesday, gives the head of the center the right to take any response measures necessary to contain the disease.
INVESTIGATION: The case is the latest instance of a DPP figure being implicated in an espionage network accused of allegedly leaking information to Chinese intelligence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) member Ho Jen-chieh (何仁傑) was detained and held incommunicado yesterday on suspicion of spying for China during his tenure as assistant to then-minister of foreign affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮). The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said Ho was implicated during its investigation into alleged spying activities by former Presidential Office consultant Wu Shang-yu (吳尚雨). Prosecutors said there is reason to believe Ho breached the National Security Act (國家安全法) by leaking classified Ministry of Foreign Affairs information to Chinese intelligence. Following interrogation, prosecutors petitioned the Taipei District Court to detain Ho, citing concerns over potential collusion or tampering of evidence. The
NEGOTIATIONS: Taiwan has good relations with Washington and the outlook for the negotiations looks promising, Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo said Taiwan’s GDP growth this year is expected to decrease by 0.43 to 1.61 percentage points due to the effects of US tariffs, National Development Council (NDC) Minister Paul Liu (劉鏡清) said at a meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee in Taipei yesterday, citing a preliminary estimate by a private research institution. Taiwan’s economy would be significantly affected by the 32 percent “reciprocal” tariffs slapped by the US, which took effect yesterday, Liu said, adding that GDP growth could fall below 3 percent and potentially even dip below 2 percent to 1.53 percent this year. The council has commissioned another institution
TRADE: The premier pledged safeguards on ‘Made in Taiwan’ labeling, anti-dumping measures and stricter export controls to strengthen its position in trade talks Products labeled “made in Taiwan” must be genuinely made in Taiwan, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday, vowing to enforce strict safeguards against “origin laundering” and initiate anti-dumping investigations to prevent China dumping its products in Taiwan. Cho made the remarks in a discussion session with representatives from industries in Kaohsiung. In response to the US government’s recent announcement of “reciprocal” tariffs on its trading partners, President William Lai (賴清德) and Cho last week began a series of consultations with industry leaders nationwide to gather feedback and address concerns. Taiwanese and US officials held a videoconference on Friday evening to discuss the
NEGOTIATIONS: The US response to the countermeasures and plans Taiwan presented has been positive, including boosting procurement and investment, the president said Taiwan is included in the first group for trade negotiations with the US, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, as he seeks to shield Taiwanese exporters from a 32 percent tariff. In Washington, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in an interview on Fox News on Thursday that he would speak to his Taiwanese and Israeli counterparts yesterday about tariffs after holding a long discussion with the Vietnamese earlier. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday postponed punishing levies on multiple trade partners, including Taiwan, for three months after trillions of US dollars were wiped off global markets. He has maintained a 10 percent
RSS