This festival, which happens only every three years, will be celebrated again this month in Donggang, Pingdong County.
Does anyone have info on specific dates, things to see, etc.?
According to my student, who is Donggang-ren, they come out of the water on the 14th and burn the boat at dawn on the 21st.
Sure it’s the morning of the 21st, and not the 20th? Usually they commence on a Friday, with the burning taking place early Saturday morning.
In any case, by dawn the boat is usually near finished burning. The procession starts sometime after midnight, and the burning starts around 4-5am.
Well worth a visit… my favorite of all festivals in Taiwan!
Yes, it should be Friday night into Saturday morning. The temple and locals always get this wrong when you ask.
Last time Qian Shui, or welcoming the gods, was also on Saturday and not Sunday. Should be Oct 13 but who knows.
Here’s the temple number. Ask carefully:
08-8322374
Quoted for truth.
Plus, these wrong dates are often reported in the media. Double and triple check. In any case, the final big event should begin on what is technically Saturday morning, but what most of us would consider Friday night. If you want to see it, go there the evening of Friday the 19th.
As for what to see, in the day and evening there’s a lot of activity in the temple square. In the alleys around the temple there are vendors selling all sorts of local snacks. In the temple there are people being purified by shamans with flags. Around the area you’ll see lots of men dressed in yellow and wearing conical hats… they’ll be transporting the boat to the beach. There are also highly decorated palanquins bearing temple gods, and there’s the boat itself, in the square. When the boat finally moves, there are lots of fireworks, musicians, drummers, etc. One of the great views is standing inside the big golden arch as the boat is brought through. Then there’s the burning boat on the beach… makes for great photos. (Besides what I described here, there’s a lot more to see.)
It’s a great place for people interested in photographing festivals.
Okay, a friend translated this and also called the temple to confirm. So it appears the burning is Sunday morning. So arrive Saturday night and stay up till dawn on Sunday.
【壬辰正科迎王平祭典】共計八天
1st day：2012/10/14（Sun）
恭請王駕（請水、過神火）Open ceremony: Invite the god to get on the boat.
2nd day：2012/10月15日（Mon）
王駕出巡（遶境本鎮北區）God pilgrimage
3rd day：2012/10月16日（Tue）
王駕出巡（遶境本鎮南區）God pilgrimage
4th day：2012/10月17日（Wed）
王駕出巡（遶境本鎮中區）God pilgrimage
5th day：2012/10月18日（Thru）
王駕出巡（遶境本鎮農區）God pilgrimage
6th day：2012/10月19日（Fir）
王船法會（各角頭轎班參拜敬王）Religious assembly
7th：2012/10月20日（Sat）Boat pilgrimage
遷船遶境（遶境本鎮鎮內）
7:00 Boat leaving the temple. 【地點：東隆宮】
19:00 Loading stuff 【地點：東隆宮】
21:00 Ceremony for boat 【地點：東隆宮】
23:00 Set up the dinner event for the god 【地點：東隆宮】
8th day：2012/10月21日（Sun）
恭送王船（燒王船）
2:00 Prepare for leaving. 【地點：東隆宮】
2:00- 5:00 Buring the boat 【地點：鎮海公園】
[quote=“Chris”]Around the area you’ll see lots of men dressed in yellow and wearing conical hats…
[/quote]
Try to get a picture of one chatting on a cell phone!
[quote=“Chris”]
There are also highly decorated palanquins bearing temple gods,[/quote]
With truly wild LED lights!
The gods must be feeling whimsical this time around.
The gods must be feeling whimsical this time around.[/quote]
They obviously don’t want us to enjoy the weekend in Kenting this time. :fume:
I would really, really love to see this. But I’ll have a foreign visitor then who I suspect would feel overwhelmed by the crowds – not to mention that the industrial-strength cultural experience might be a bit much for a newbie to Taiwan.
Maybe three years from now. 
[quote=“cranky laowai”]I would really, really love to see this. But I’ll have a foreign visitor then who I suspect would feel overwhelmed by the crowds – not to mention that the industrial-strength cultural experience might be a bit much for a newbie to Taiwan.
Maybe three years from now. [/quote]
Perfect chance to immerse your friend in the heart of the culture!
[quote=“cranky laowai”]I would really, really love to see this. But I’ll have a foreign visitor then who I suspect would feel overwhelmed by the crowds – not to mention that the industrial-strength cultural experience might be a bit much for a newbie to Taiwan.
Maybe three years from now. [/quote]
Actually there will be another one Nov 2-8 on xiao liuchiu island. I’d really like to see that too. A bit smaller scale but very traditional and probably cooler to see the boat being dragged across the pretty island.
Also one in Danshui on oct 22- 23.
I grew up near an area where they had a car burning festival almost every weekend. It was a sight to behold 
.
Why do I have the feeling that if we arrive in Donggang on Saturday (20th) evening, we’ll get there only to find the boat had already been burned that morning?
I know. And once again I’m in a fucked state over an article. hard to explain to an editor that yes, the temple says Saturday, the papers say Saturday, but it really just as likely could still be Friday.
The only thing that is promising is that the person my Taiwanese friend spoke to said the day was changed so more people could attend. Of course that answer could have been prompted by the question…
HHII sounds like a deeply spiritual neighborhood.
Well, I’m kind of surprised that no one else (or one modest person in particular) has posted this slideshow link but…
bbc.com/travel/slideshow/201 … g-festival
Can’t make it this year (again!), but I need to find out more about this Danshui one.
[quote=“lostinasia”]Well, I’m kind of surprised that no one else (or one modest person in particular) has posted this slideshow link but…
bbc.com/travel/slideshow/201 … g-festival
Can’t make it this year (again!), but I need to find out more about this Danshui one.[/quote]
Thanks. I forgot about that. Posted on Facebook, though. lol:
Argh. I thought for the longest time that this event was going to be on a Friday. Now that I’ve discovered it’s not, I’m guessing it’s a bit late to be trying to book any hotels for Saturday.
Does anyone know if there’s going to be more frequent bus service between Donggang and Kaohsiung during this event and whether or not they’ll run at night? I really don’t want to be stuck waiting for hours for a bus going back home, either in the middle of the night or in the morning when it’s all over. If the buses are still going to run every hour or half hour, with each bus getting filled up and hordes of people still waiting in line, I might be better off rolling back on a bicycle, that is if I can stay awake.
Last time there were lots of extra buses. Not sure if they operate at night but the event runs till 6-7am so you wouldn’t want to leave. We drove last time but friends took the bus back and didn’t wait more than 20 minutes. This time I also will be taking the bus. It was really dangerous last time driving after being up all night.
[quote=“Mucha Man”][quote=“cranky laowai”]I would really, really love to see this. But I’ll have a foreign visitor then who I suspect would feel overwhelmed by the crowds – not to mention that the industrial-strength cultural experience might be a bit much for a newbie to Taiwan.
Maybe three years from now. [/quote]
Also one in Danshui on oct 22- 23.[/quote]
Any idea where? What time?