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Abstract:Taiwan`s Mazu culture originated from the belief of Chinese immigrants in
Mazu, the goddess of the sea. Passed down through religious traditions and inspired
by this culture, Mazu pilgrimage celebrations are held in various regions. Among
these, the Mazu procession in March has become the most iconic ceremony, with
Dajia Zhenlan Temple serving as a benchmark. The grand Mazu procession held
every March has grown into one of the world's three major religious events,
recognized for its well-planned route and vast number of participants. In 2009, it
was designated a World Intangible Cultural Heritage by the United Nations. This
annual nine days and eight nights cross-county and cross-city procession not only
generates significant tourism and economic benefits but also symbolizes the
maritime cultural heritage passed down through generations of immigrants. In this
context, Zhenlan Temple has carefully considered the future development of multi-religious processions. Dajia Zhenlan Temple hosts the Mazu procession every year.
Effectively mobilizing organizational forces, planning the procession route, and
managing the event as a whole have become very challenging tasks. Especially after
the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, the Dajia Mazu procession was
successfully held with the support of government regulations, achieving a careful
balance. This success was not only due to the faith and trust of the management
team and pilgrims in Mazu, but also to the effective implementation of event
management, which ensured the smooth completion of the entire procession. This
study employs fieldwork methods and quantitative data, along with semi-structured
interviews with relevant scholars, to explore how temples can effectively manage pilgrimage activities during the COVID-19 crisis. Additionally, by analyzing
statistical samples from questionnaires, we examine the perspectives, backgrounds,
and motivations of both devotees participating in the Dajia Mazu pilgrimage and
tourists visiting the event. The aim is to understand the reasons and interactive
relationships between devotees and tourists during the pandemic. Through this
research, we also explore the core values of participants in the annual Mazu
pilgrimage organized by Zhenlan Temple. |