Mon, Jan 11, 2021 page9

• Matsu Pilgrimage by air 媽祖遶境 「空中版」將啟航

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  During the COVID-19 pandemic, many airlines have been getting very creative and have launched various kinds of simulated overseas trips to keep the money flowing. Business owners say that the pandemic has been with us for a year, but its impact on the aviation tourism industry is no less severe, so the tourism market is still expected to focus mainly on domestic travel this year.

  The Matsu pilgrimage craze in March is Taiwan’s grand annual religious event, attracting tens of thousands of believers every year. One travel agency that is aiming at business opportunities for simulated overseas flights plans to cooperate with Tigerair Taiwan and create a new in-flight attraction by launching an “airborne version” of the Matsu pilgrimage.

  Chung Hsing Travel Service chairman Lee Chi-yueh said that, having by chance become director-general of Taipei’s Shengxing Tianhou Temple, he came up with the fancy idea of collaborating with Tigerair Taiwan to launch Taiwan’s first aerial Matsu pil-grimage. He said the flight is due to launch in March as a warm-up for the grand event of Matsu pilgrimages around the island.

  

  Pilgrims of Heng An Temple in Tainan’s Lioujia District push a Matsu palanquin up a hill on Nov. 11, 2019. 六甲恒安宮媽祖遶境連六甲山區也走一趟。攝於二○一九年十一月十一日。

  Photo: Yang Chin-cheng, Liberty Times 照片：自由時報記者楊金城

  According to the plan, the flight will take about two hours. A Taoist priest will be invited to pray at the airport before departure. Three statues — Matsu, her attendants Qianliyan (lit. eyes that see a thousand leagues) and Shunfenger (lit. ears that hear the wind) will be carried on the plane. Departing from Taipei, the flight will follow a route around eastern Taiwan to the islands of Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu before flying above Japan’s Miyako Island. Blessings and chanting ceremonies will be held in the air, linking with Taiwan’s unique religious events and praying for the pandemic to disappear.

  (Translated by Lin Lee-kai, Taipei Times)

  疫情期間各家航空公司大搞創意，推出各式類出國行程，創造金流；業者透露，疫情海嘯已屆滿週年，但對航空旅遊業的衝擊不減，預估今 年旅遊市場還是以國旅為主。

  

  A Tigerair Taiwan plane takes off. 起飛中的一架台灣虎航飛機。

  Photo courtesy of Tigerair Taiwan 照片：台灣虎航提供

  三月瘋媽祖是台灣年度宗教盛事，每年都吸引成千上萬信徒跟隨，有旅遊業者瞄準類出國航班商機，規劃攜手台灣虎航推出「空中版」媽祖繞境，盼為類出國創造新噱頭。

  創新旅行社董事長李奇嶽表示，自己因緣際會接下台北聖興天后宮總幹事一職，突發奇想找上台灣虎航希望推出全台首個空中媽祖繞境航班。他表示，空中媽祖繞境航班規劃今年三月啟航，為國內媽祖繞境活動提前暖身。

  據規劃，該航班航程約兩小時，出發前會請道長在機場進行祈福儀式，並請媽祖、千里眼及順風耳三尊神像上機，從台北出發繞東台灣再飛往澎湖、金門、馬祖，接著飛往日本宮古島上方，空中將舉辦祈福、誦經儀式，結合台灣獨有的宗教盛事，祈求疫情退散。

  （自由時報記者蕭玗欣）
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