Maju媽祖 of Luerhman鹿耳門

Believing something or someone is mostly the matter of psychology. Trust is obtained and supported by experience, knowledge, and common sense. Faith or belief among people is formed with personal relationship and experience either. If we see some similar and common phenomena in many other people, we might not say it's a sort of psychology.

Without study of anthropologists, we know religious belief and faith are real in people's mind. Sometimes it's rapid fashion, sometimes habit and culture inherited for many years. And they are inseparable. Therefore, religion, culture, habit, custom and social engagements are all not only mental but also material factor.

From 鹿耳門天后宮

Maju媽祖 is one of the highest god in Taiwan, who originally came from South-eastern coast of China, the province of 福建Fuzen. Since they had departed to cross the Taiwan strait 400 years ago, they have believed this female god would protect their sailing. Now it is honored and believed by many Taiwanese as their own god who not only cares ship sailing but also other matters of entire human life. It was just a simple god for safe sailing but now became a great god who manages life and health, economy, business. Some part of liturgy is still related to their first place. But it seems to be regarded as different god now.





There are many branch temples in Taiwan such as Anping, Kaohsiung, and Pingdong. The temples send their representing performance team at common ceremony day as this day. They wear different uniforms, caps, and prepared special ceremonies one another. For example, a team performed a Tzgong and monks dancing, one brought a sedan as the vehicle of their god, one came with women who wear Qing dynasty's costume, the other spreaded a lot of crackers on the ground and sky.




Drums, singing, chanting scripture, playing puppet show, declaring liturgy order, exploding fire crackers, burning paper money, offering incenses, praying, eating, smoking, talking, etc... So many people gathered from all across the country when I visited there. And I was excited too.

From 鹿耳門天后宮

This temple is another landmark of Taiwan to me. And faith of Maju is much interesting phenomena to think much more from now on. I hope I can visit there again.

A lot of money to offer

How much bundles of money have you ever seen in your life? Or, did you ever see some news about bank or stock on TV? It's a dream for everybody in the world to see piles of money in their own bedroom. Maybe you can realize that dream if you go this temple on a certain celebration day.

As you see, the piles of baggage are all "money." I'm not lying now. Only the problem is that the color of money is yellow and red. Yes, moneys are standby to be burnt or dedicated to their god(s) at altars of this temple in Tainan city. Peculiarly, this temple's highest god is "One." They worship "One" as well as the other known gods.

So many people gather, worship, wish, burn incenses and draw their fortune with prayer. Different from Churches, those temples and shrines of local folk religions are always open to any believers and visitors. Feast is a festival of not only believers but also merchants nearby and neighbors. I like it. I sometimes think Christianity lost this point which locates and co-exist with local society.

Happy gods

The building is totally a temporary construction. Behind this huge pantheon is just a bundle of wooden or metal beams. There are no hall, nave, altar, even no place fo monks.
The gods are fancy however. Some are hanging and moving by wind. Some are from ancient stories, some are captured from legends. Most are based on Taoism with folk religion. I am not capable to distinguish them of course even though I've visited so many temples in Taiwan.
Nobody was there when I went there. No clergy, no pilgrim. Only abandoned gods were moving by wind wearing smile, all the time, maybe forever.