The annual Baishatun Mazu procession, a religious tradition known worldwide, saw record-breaking numbers of devotees on Monday.
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The annual Baishatun Mazu procession started on Monday from as early as 12:35 a.m. Despite the early hour, believers have already flooded the temple both inside and out.
The start of the procession, which kicks off the nine-day pilgrimage, saw the streets congested with worshippers all wearing orange hats. This year, close to 180,000 pilgrims signed up for the event, shattering previous records.
A reporter details how the large crowd of devotees walked from night to day, non-stop, as they followed the Mazu procession.
Performances are also included as part of the procession, attracting many bystanders to stop and get a closer look.
Many devout believers also lined up neatly and knelt in the middle of the road, hoping that Mazu’s palanquin would pass over them to give her blessings.
The pilgrimage will travel an approximately 400-kilometer journey to Chaotian Temple in Yunlin's Beigang Township and back. Worshippers from all over the world gather at this huge annual event to seek the protection of the sea goddess, Mazu.