Edit - Changed the title here to reflect a new year.
Chance to get on T.V
Come on down, or up, to Tachia.
All the information you need is here http://mazu.taichung.gov.tw/English/index.htm#7
Well, all the information except my cell phone number, you’d need to P.M for that. 
Now it’s 2005
Bassman, what is it you are proposing? I really want to see the Mazu festival this year so if you have something in mind let us all know.
By the way, your link doesn’t work because the stupid auto-censor has added the alternate spelling to TaiChung. 
I live right near the temple. One block away, so I’ll be right there. Consider me a local guide. If you drive in, a resource for the fastest way out through the traffic jams and a local food and drink expert.
All I can say is that I’m willing to meet up with Forumosan’s in Tachia.
A mass of us together would get us some prime T.V time, damn, I’ll wear the school sweat shirt, not.
Link - just take out the (Taizhong) bit
Nope, the link works for me
April 17th goes to real late at night and into Sunday morning.
Sunday 25th is full on until Lunch time and just a little active at night
Bass, is “Dajia” the same thing as “Tachia”? On the map I have I see Dajia which sounds like Tachia. It looks like it’s right next to a train station?
Bass, is “Dajia” the same thing as “Tachia”? On the map I have I see Dajia which sounds like Tachia. It looks like it’s right next to a train station?[/quote]
Yup, same place and the train station is right near the temple too.
It’s going to be huge this year. It seems a lot more organised this time around and a lot more variety.
Saturday saw one whole street - well at least 6-7 city blocks - of Taiwan puppet shows lined up back to back (side by side). Noisy, but what a sight.
The Yoyo T.v lot were there.
I think I saw Vorksigan, I could be wrong though, but it looked like him.
bump
Here’s a map of Tachia.
The temple is on the corner of Jianggong Road and ShuenTian Rd.
Park anywhere North of there if you are from Taipei. You may end up as far away as YuYing Road before you find a park though. There is a parking basement under the school on Yude Road, it may or may not be full.
Don’t park south of the temple as getting out of town could be difficult. This is by no means a complete map of all the streets. No. 3 freeway is on the East side of Town and connects to Shueiyuan Road - well kinda.
Well, I went on Saturday night and have this to say: good spectacle.
My wife arrived around 8pm by car. We parked about 1.5km from the temple, near what looked like a school. It took about 5 minutes to find parking and about 15 minutes to walk to the temple.
The roads around the temple had been blocked off to traffic. In all there must have been about .5km2 of pedestrian only space. Food stalls, game areas, booths, and balloon sellers, and tens of thousands of people turned the area into a giant lively night market.
Activities began around 9pm with Tudigong coming out to bless the land where Matsu would be carried. For the next hour an assortment of Chinese dieties and folk figures (Guangong, some child god, a pinked face god, Eyes that see a thousand miles, Ears that hear on the wind, and a few drunken monks) came out and danced around the coutryard to the sound of ritual drumming. Occassionally there were fireworks and some giant explosions.
Behind the temple people sent sky lanterns into the night sky. Once a lantern floated directly into the centre of a fireworks display. The crowd gasp.
Around 10pm Matsu was brought out in her decorative tent. A stream of fireworks lit the sky behind the temple. The crowed jostled to touch the fabric of the tent but a team of men made a wide circle to prevent anyone getting too close. Matsu made it across the courtyard in 1 minute. Last year it took her 30.
My wife and I were standing above the temple entrance on one of the balconies. The view was good but it is better to be out front facing the temple entrance. The very best seats are in the crotch of the tree on the left side of the courtyard. Next year I’m fighting to get a spot there.
After Matsu left, the crowd thinned as thousands followed her south down the streets. My wife and I started to head back to our car but fortuitously took a wrong turn and ended up at the front of the pilgrimage line. We decided to wait to see Matsu be carried by. I’m glad we did. It was quite a sight to see thousands upon thousands of pilgrims stream by, banging gongs, blowing horns, chewing betelnut.
Just after Matsu passed us another fireworks display started. It lasted about 15 minutes and was dazzling.
I saw a few western-faces in the crowd but not many. Too bad. It’s realy worth going to see. If you take the train in, the temple is only two blocks away. Just exit the station and walk straight ahead.
Dajia needs to do a bit of urban replanning. The area around the temple has entire blocks of lovely old buildings but they are marred by neon signs and cables. Dajia should take a cue from Daxi or Lugang and repair these streets and turn the whole area into an attraction. On Friday I watched a bit of a puppet show on the street. How fabulous it would have been had the street been cobbled or tiled and the old buildings around me scrubbed and cleared of cables and signs.
About a block from the temple there is a famous pastry shop housed in an old school. The company did such a good job restoring the building you wonder why more Taiwanese don’t do this, especially given that the old building, spruced up with clean modern storefront windows and bright lighting is extremely popular.
There’s a Wenchang temple not far from the Matsu. It’s in excellent shape and features a lovely old drum and bell and beautiful walls. If you see young students there, they have come to ask the god to help them with tests.
Curly hair?
Glasses?
If so, I saw you
That was me, probably. There were only about 3-4 other westerners there.
Which one were you? I remember giving a quick nod and hello to a few whities I passed by.
I was walking behind you when you came into town. I also saw you on the main street where the street venors were. I was going to say hi but my son was wanting to get moving. Actually there were about 20 - 30 westerners there, some of the staff here have photo’s.
I look just like my avatar and I was the only one with a child, at least I think.
Darn, I missed out on meeting another forumosan again.
You walked in down a side street with a drug store on the corner, right? Turned right into the market street and headed on over to the left side of the street after about 50m.
[quote]You walked in down a side street with a drug store on the corner, right? Turned right into the market street and headed on over to the left side of the street after about 50m. [quote]
Jeez, that’s a pretty exact recollection. Were you stalking me? 
Uh, I don’t quite remember my exact route into town. I was looking out for someone looking like you but didn’t see anyone. Certainly I saw no one with a child.
Too bad we didn’t meet up. I met two forumosans last week. Could have been a hat trick. Damn! :fume:
I’ve been reading Mega Memory
After the extravaganza I’m thinking of changing my forumosan ID to Matsu Man.
Matsu, Matsu Man.
I’ve got to be
A Matsu Man.
Gotta be a Matsu, Matsu Man.
I’ve got to be a Matsu.
Hmm, wasn’t all that funny a post to begin with, but with all that Pinyin correction it’s positively dense. :fume:
Well, Sunday afternoon should be a good time for some daytime photo ops.
Any takers?
You’ll probably all miss me though I have this habit of blending in with the locals and people have to get close up to tell I am not a local. Must be the whole family unit thing that I have going on.
I saw a picture on the news of some guy who leads the parade, wears one sandal, barefoot on other foot, straw hat, walks entire procession, all 268 km or so.
this year there are two I heard. The announcer says his name is BO BAY YA in Taiwanese, BAO MA TSAi in CHinese. 報馬仔
The ENlgish dictionary says he is a PATROLMAN, advance man, looking out for danger and telling Mazu to follow him, the coast is clear. rings his gong when coast is clear…
But he looks like a real comic figure out of an Italian opera. Opera bouffe. Am wondering if anyone knows his history or origins…
Google yielded this in English:
[[The “Patrolman” …( [ 報馬仔 ]BO BAY YA) …is the pioneer in the pilgrimage train, who
prepares the way for both Mastu as well as the
worshippers on the way. His funny appearance is one
little humorous touch in this holy journey.]]
later, I found this image via google image search for 報馬仔
netcity2.web.hinet.net/UserData/ … MaZai.html
i wonder if this guy comes from Japan occupation culture because over there they got similar advance men called CHIN DON YA (“Chin-don” performers)" –