Chapter 13 Religious Ceremonies
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Chapter 13 Religious Ceremonies Taipei City is a typical immigrant metropolis that celebrates an infusion of religious beliefs, cultures, customs and lifestyles brought by different ethnic groups. The year 2007 also witnessed multifarious and colorful ritual galas and religious ceremonies, such as the 2007 Taipei Lantern Festival to complement the last day of the Chinese New Year, the Mid-Autumn Soiree for the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Dalongdong Cultural Fair, the ceremonious Hakka Bag Gung, Three Mountain Kings, and Yi-min Ceremonies, the Baosheng Cultural Festival and the Matsu Cultural Festival of Northern Taiwan that are rich with religious and cultural elements, the aboriginal cultural festivals and the exotic immigrant cultural events. Apart from these activities, the City Government followed out a myriad of innovative ritual measures that broke away from traditional elements in 2007. The city of Taipei is encouraging the promotion of new cultural elements and religious beliefs, and transforming these new energies into a unique Taipei cultural tapestry. 英文年鑑內頁11-19.indd 197 2008/7/1 12:54:19 PM 198 Taiwan is comprised of diverse cultural elements; it is a place where multiple ethnic groups coexist harmoniously to form a land of amazing beauty and magnificence. Taipei City is arguably the place in Taiwan where these cultures most playfully and vigorously vie for attention and the spotlight. A modernized Taipei City not only exudes local folk flavors, but is always ready to embrace new and diverse cultural ideas. The people of modern Taipei not only pass on traditional customs, inspire innovative visions. Part 1 Colorful and Vibrant Ceremonial Gatherings A traditional farming society is characterized by many holidays which have been brought over by immigrants from their ancestral homes to Taiwan. Although modern Taipei no longer organizes elaborate and formal ceremonies, we can still witness the fusion of both traditional and innovative practices that have been adapted to modern lifestyles through rituals and religious activities around the seasons, styling them to form a unique religious culture in modern Taipei. 1. The Taipei Lantern Festival The Lantern Festival is a long-standing and well established Chinese holiday, and has always been one of the great annual events for the people of Taiwan. Since time immemorial, the lantern festivals have symbolized the prayers for blessings and the reunion of homefolks. The images and significance of the holiday have also long been deeply embedded in the style and pace of life of Taipei’s citizens. At the 2007 “Taipei Lantern Festival” – Good Fortunes in Taipei and All Is Well, the Taipei City Government sought to improve Taipei’s international visibility by hailing Taipei as a “Healthy City.” Festival mascot, “Pigcolate,” was installed to connect the themes of the various events and lantern areas, including the centerpiece, “All is Well and Perfect,” a 4.5-kilometer-long lantern- dotted tunnel, a splendid and glorious international lantern section, a topical lantern to signify traditional festivities, a students’ lantern section to showcase their creativity in passing on this legacy, and a nighttime paradise lantern section, a riddle arena, the main performance stage, a folk art street and a prayer enclave to spice up the interests and diversity of the great soiree. The event attracted over 6 million visitors from February 24 through March 11 in 2007. The grand occasion was characterized by enchanted, jostling crowds and brightly decorated lanterns. Crowd at the 2007 Taipei Lantern Festival 英文年鑑內頁11-19.indd 198 2008/7/1 12:54:25 PM 199 Chapter 13 Religious Ceremonies 2. Singing Near The Shore on the Mid-Autumn Festival The Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15 of the Lunar Calendar is an important holiday in Chinese culture that typifies “The Full Moon and Homefolk Reunions.” The Taipei City Government wanted to design a new festivity, a departure from the usual “Poem Recitals by Riverbanks, Watch the Moon and Enjoy the Breeze,” and so encouraged residents to engage in various recreational activities by the green areas that span the riverside parks. It invited the Department of Civil Affairs to organize a “Singing Near the Shore on the Mid-Autumn Festival” soiree on the eve of the holiday (September 24) and on the day of the Festival (September 25) from 7 pm to 10 pm by the Dajia Riverside Park. The festival was an opportunity to reenact the scene from long ago when whole families and couples would come together onto open fields to watch the moon. It was also a chance to improve Taipei citizens’ understanding of the City Government’s endeavors to create a water-friendly living environment, and take their loved ones out for a joyous holiday. “Singing Near the Shore On the Mid-Autumn Festival” was the first celebration to incorporate the beautiful riverside sights of the Keelung River in creating a rare performance of water screens and The barbeque party water dances. The Taipei Chinese Orchestra, a local Teachers’ Chinese Symphony, the Riverside Folk Dance Troupe, the Taipei City High School Hip Hop Troupe, the Beauty of Taipei Dance Troupe, and popular singers from the Million Star Gang feted the audience with a string of amazing performances. Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin, the Department of Civil Affairs Commissioner Huang Lu Ching-ju, and the heads of other departments of the Taipei City Government came to the barbeque area, to chat and enjoy the night with disadvantaged groups, new immigrant families, foreign laborers, surviving families of the army, aborigines, volunteers in the communities and other residents who came to attend the party. The soiree ended on a beautiful note of festivities, a friendly, family mood, the mellifluent music and wonderful dance performances. 3. The 2007 Dalongdong Cultural Fair In 2007, the Taipei Confucius Temple Management Commission outlined “The 2007 Dalongdong Cultural Fair” with the theme of “Taipei – Dynamic and Benevolent.” The fair started on September 4 and continued through December 15 as a lively, 3-month Confucianist Event to revive the Dalongdong Area and promote Taipei Foreign students experience the ancient rites of honoring City’s local cultural resources. students 英文年鑑內頁11-19.indd 199 2008/7/1 12:54:29 PM 200 “Remembrance and Tribute – The Teacher-Honoring Ceremony at the Confucius Temple” was the opening ritual to spread the Confucian spirit of “Honoring Teachers and Virtues” and make “Education Accessible to All.” About 500 teachers and students from various schools and foreign institutes participated in the rite. The Siyi Dance was performed to pay homage to Confucius. Students prepared six gifts: jerky (thanking the teachers), celery (Diligence Shapes Professions), lotus seeds (laborious education process), Chinese red dates (Winning a High Academic Ranking Soon), the longan fruits (consummate and free), and adzuki beans (luck and success) as remuneration, plus a document and the Three Bows and Nine Kowtows to the teachers. The ceremony was designed to create an impression of Taipei City’s “Benevolence” to those in attendance. Sacrificial offerings play a vital role in the offering ceremonies. The Taipei Confucius Temple Management Commission, before the 2007 Confucius Worship Services, first made public the 27 sacrificial offerings. Meanwhile, to carry on the tradition of having young students serving as the Yi and Yue pupils during the ceremony, for the first time in history, Taipei Kai-ping Culinary School students were invited to take part in this tradition to add to the cultural and educational heritage in observing these ceremonies. The presentation of sacrificial offerings every year on the Birthday of Confucius on September 28 is a grand annual occasion at the Confucius Temple. To commemorate the 2,557th birthday of the Great Teacher, Confucius, the Taipei Confucius Temple Management Commission organized the presentation of sacrificial offerings at 6 a.m. on September 28, 2007 at the Dacheng Hall, with Mayor Hau Lung-bin as the chief presenter of offerings, and Commissioner of the Department of Civil Affairs, Huang Lu Ching-ju, as the officiator. Accompanying presenters were jointly served by Confucius School Promotion Organizations from Japan, South Korea and Vietnam. The ceremony was held in observance of the ancient rituals. After The 928 Sacrificial Offering Ceremony 英文年鑑內頁11-19.indd 200 2008/7/1 12:54:35 PM 201 Chapter 13 Religious Ceremonies the ceremonies, Mayor Hau Lung-bin personally distributed wisdom cakes, cakes in honor of teachers and keepsakes: “Confucius Studies on Your Side” to attendees to partake in the blessings and wisdom endowed by Confucius. To instill a “benevolent” spirit into the Taipei Confucius Temple Management Commission organized a cultural fair: “Frolic in Taipei’s Benevolence,” with educational and entertaining introductions to the audience about appreciating traditional art and Confucian culture. “Confucius Shines – the Confucius Temple Homecoming” from September 29 through 30, 2007 was a channel for exchanging opinions on the core values of the present Confucius temples and the passing down and development of the sacrificial offerings. The event served to strengthen international cultural exchanges and communication in building a Confucius studies interchange network. “The 2007 Dalongdong Cultural Fair” featured the harmonious fusion of diverse cultures and art, including an event that collocates the personalities of Confucius Temples across Taiwan: “Treasures in Confucius Studies: Cultural Relics from Confucian Yi students performed the Yi dance to pay homage to Confucius Temples around Taiwan Exhibition” (September 27 through December 15), the creative “Confucius Congregations: Historic Spots and Delicacies in Dalongdong” (September 27 through December 15), the splendid “Confucius in Elation – Performances by Traditional Art Groups (November 17), the wonderful “Confucius in Action – the Confucius Cup Hip Hop High School Challenge” (November 18), and the colorful and creative “The Confucius Hip Hop – the Benevolent 6-art Party (December 1). The events served to display the tradition, vitality, modernity and internationalization of Confucian culture.