The triennial Wangye Festival kicked off in Pingtung County's Donggang on Friday, and the party continued throughout the weekend. Tourists came from far and wide to take part in the rare ceremonies.
The Wangye Festival has been around for centuries and is meant to worship Wangye, a god who controls evil spirits. The festival centers around building and burning a boat for Wangye as a sacrifice.
Many people also wanted to celebrate by taking a boat from Donggang to the beautiful island of Xiaoliuqiu. The manager of one of the boat companies said that the number of tourists coming back and forth from the island exceeded 20,000 over the weekend. He said this was a record breaking number.
A local man who had moved to Taichung for work, said that he initially planned on asking his employer for three days off from work to attend the ceremonies. In the end, being back at home on Xiaoliuqiu, made him decide to quit the job entirely.
Many people commented on how lively the atmosphere was, not seeming to mind so much about the crowds, long lines, and lack of parking spots. These lines were not for the faint of heart - visitors said that they had to wait for hours before being able to board the boats to Xiaoliuqiu. Still, the Wangye Festival was a spectacle unlike any they had seen before, and one that won't be back for another three years.