Taiwan Religious Culture Map

events of the Yehliu area, a highlight of the Lantern Festival celebrations in New Taipei's Wanli District, and the only ocean cleansing ritual in Taiwan. The event is comprised of three major rites: Matzu procession, ships full of catch, and deities' cleansing of the harbor. The deities involved include the Sacred Prince—Developer of Zhangzhou, Matzu, General Zhou Cang, and Tudigong. There are three parts to the ritual: procession at sea, cleansing of the harbor, and firewalking. The event commences with the Harbor Cleansing ritual in the morning, when fishing boats sail around and cleanse the harbor, sharing their catch with the gathered devotees. At the climax of the ritual, in the midst of thundering gongs and drums, over a hundred men that have come of age, fasted, and purified for the occasion will jump into the chilly Yehliu Harbor carrying the divine sedan chairs and come up on the other side of the harbor. At around 11:00 a.m., the firewalking ritual begins. In the afternoon, a procession of the deities will pass around Yehliu as people pray for good fortune. This 'going into water and coming through fire' ritual is characteristic of the local culture. The event was officially named the "Yehliu Harbor Cleansing Festival" by the New Taipei City Government in recent years.