00:00At exactly 10.05 p.m. Friday night, thousands of worshippers set off alongside the pelanquin
00:04of the Taoist sea goddess Matsu on a nine-day, eight-night journey.
00:08The pilgrimage started off with a bang, including drums, gongs, and fireworks.
00:12And organizers say this year may be one of the biggest crowds yet.
00:15The procession follows a fixed route, traveling from the Zhenlan Temple in Taichung down to Jaiyi
00:28and back again, around 340 kilometers in all.
00:31Thousands will accompany Matsu on foot, with organizers reminding participants to go at their own pace.
00:46Several top members of the main opposition Kuomintang were there on Friday night to see Matsu off.
00:51They included party leader Zhengli Wen, legislative speaker Han Guo Yu,
00:55Taichung mayor Lu Shoyuan, and caucus whip Fu Kunqi.
00:58As the Dajia Matsu pilgrimage begins, another Matsu procession,
01:02starting off from Bai Shetuan further to the north, is already underway.
01:05Unlike Dajia, the Bai Shetuan pilgrimage does not have a fixed route or set time for completion.
01:11This year, for the first time since 2007,
01:13there's a chance that the two traveling Matsu statues could meet on the road in Taichung on Saturday.
01:24The two pilgrimages are the highlights of Taiwan's religious calendar,
01:28bringing in devotees from all over the country and from overseas.
01:32If early indications are correct,
01:33it seems likely that over a million people may be taking part in one or other pilgrimage this year in
01:38some form,
01:38a testament to Matsu's enduring and increasing appeal in recent years.
01:42Larry Siano and Justin Wu for Taiwan Plus.
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