Taiwanese photographer Wang Cheng-che won nine gold prizes at the 2022 New York Photography Awards for his photos showing Taiwan’s rich temple culture.
The Dajia Mazu procession begins with a bang. The black night sky turns gray with smoke from fireworks as thousands of worshippers ecstatically witness the deity setting off on her yearly procession.
A pious man dressed as one of the eight generals that guard the godly realm in Taiwanese folklore lets his body be engulfed in firecrackers.
And the smooth marble of Tainan’s Nankunshen Temple reflects the clear blue sky, creating a peaceful, gentle, and solemn feeling.
These scenes come from three photos taken by Taiwanese photographer Wang Cheng-che (王呈哲). Together, they won nine gold prizes at the 2022 New York Photography Awards.
Wang says it’s amazing that his photo of the Dajia Mazu pilgrimage is the first one you see on the competition’s official website. He says it’s unbelievable that all three of his pictures won awards.
What does Wang plan to do after winning his awards? Stop number one is to pray at the Dajia Mazu temple.
Wang says every year he sees the Mazu image leave the temple on its procession, and for the last three years he’s taken pictures. He says it was only recently that he felt comfortable taking his works abroad to see if Taiwanese culture could find a seat at the table.
Wang regularly participates in temple events in Taiwan, and he hopes his photographs can show the unique quality of traditional Taiwanese religion. Now his gold prizes have helped Taiwan’s traditional temple culture shine on the international stage.