Burning Boats in Taiwan – beautiful fullsize replica of a Chinese junk rigged vessel is burned

Jaiding, a Northern District in Kaohsiung county.

Chinese Junk on Fire. Junk Rig Burns

A few hours before

Taiwan chinese junk burning ritual, carrying the boat through the streets pushing up the power lines to pass
traditional chinese junk up in flames. Junk rig burns

My friend Mao travels around her home country of Taiwan and takes wonderful photos. Some are boat oriented!

Here is a wonderful series of a religious festival in Taiwan. The details of the boat are exquisitely correct!

The series you asked is a local religious activity called “Shao(burn) Wang(Wang Ye, God of Pestilence) Chuan(ship)” , meaning “Burning the ship of Wang Ye, God of Pestilence”. 茄萣燒王船

It’s a very common religious activity held at many southern port cities in Taiwan and also the south-eastern sea-side part of Mainland China.

The custom was formed because there were too many pestilences and plagues burst in the sea-side port cities in the old days. Fishermen and villagers built the ship of Wang Yeh to gather all the bad things and sickness in town. In the old days, they then sent the ship away after ceremonies symbolizing sending all the bad things away.

If ever the tide takes the ship back to the shore, which means the back luck and plague comes back with Wang Ye , the villagers have to build a temple to worship the ship and Wang Ye then.

It’s a very common religious activity held at many southern port cities in Taiwan and also the south-eastern sea-side part of Mainland China.

If ever the tide takes the ship back to the shore, which means the back luck and plague comes back with Wang Ye , the villagers have to build a temple to worship the ship and Wang Ye then.

Maopopo 2008

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