Taiwan Religious Culture Map

Held once every three years, the Wangye Festival in Donggang Township of Pingtung County is the largest one in Taiwan. It is often mentioned alongside a similar festival in Xigang as the two largest festivals in southern Taiwan. In recent years, the date of the festival has fallen in the ninth month of the lunar calendar. The exact date of the celebration is determined by Donglong Temple using Poe divination (a traditional Chinese divination method in which two moon-shaped wooden blocks are cast—the way in which they land is interpreted to determine divine guidance). The entire festival consists of thirteen events, namely:
Determining the chief organizers (jiǎotóu zhíwù de lúnrèn): Determined by drawing lots three days after the end of the previous festival
Making the boat (zàowángchuán): This begins two years prior to the festival
Welcoming Wangye’s Emissaries Ceremony (zhōngjunfǔ ānzuò)
Inviting Wangye (jìnbiǎo)
Setting up the Wangye Camp (shèzhì dàitiānfǔ)
Welcoming Ceremony (qǐngwáng)
Passing over Fire Ceremony (guòhuǒ)
Pilgrimage (chūxún rǎojìng)
Wangye Worshipping Ceremony (sìwáng)
Moving the Boat (qiānchuán)
Dispersing evil spirits (héwēn yāshà)
Wangye’s Banquet (yànwáng)
Departure Ceremony (sòngwáng)

There is often a celebratory feast three days after the Departure Ceremony. During the feast, seven local village associations (who carry palanquins and other religious implements in the pilgrimage) gather with Donggang temple’s palanquin association in front of Wen Wangye to delegate the various responsibilities for the next festival. At this point, the village responsible for the next festival determines who should be the chief organizer, the two assisting managers, and the general organizer. The other six village associations also have an assisting manager and a general manager each. These men will be the most important group for organizing the coming festival.

The Wangye Boat is the most important part of the Wangye Festival. The boat ferries away disease, bad luck and evil spirits to keep the area safe. In the past, villagers did not have a lot of resources and often built the boat out of papier mâché and bamboo sticks. The first wooden boat was constructed in 1973. The King boat is generally over ten meters long, though the exact size differs every year according to divination carried out by the temple, and requires approximately four months to construct. Since Donggang is an important harbor in Taiwan, there are many skilled boat-carpenters close at hand. The boat, which is still built in the traditional manner, costs over a million Taiwanese dollars in materials alone. Since the construction of the Wangye Boat requires the help and offers of so many, it is a county-wide endeavor in and of itself.

The Welcoming Ceremony, sometimes called the Water Ceremony, is the first event of the festival. Lord Wangye always travels by boat so this event must take place by the coast near Donggang. First, the chief manager, someone who is believed to be possessed by divine spirits, boards the boat with incense to write down the name of the Wangye present (there are thirty-six Wangye deities, each with a different name). The night before, the chief organizer will have already conducted divination in the temple behind closed doors and received the name of the Wangye who will be attending the festival that year. If the shaman writes the same name as the one the chief organizer writes, it is an indication that Wangye has truly arrived. After confirmation from temple workers, the beach lights up with firecrackers and cheers from the crowd to welcome Wangye to the festival. A procession around the village then follows immediately. 

Passing over burning fire is a cleansing ceremony in Taoist teaching. Before the pilgrimage returns to Donglong Temple, temple workers light a bonfire in five different places to cleanse Wangye’s palanquin. The five visiting Wangye palanquins then pass over the fires in order; first Wang ye, and followed by the second, third, fourth, and fifth Wangye. The organizers then also pass over the fire, followed by the procession. The Wangye then enter the Wangye Camp (a “camp” is temporarily set up in Donglong Temple to accommodate Wangye’s divine spirits during the festival). Believers sometimes also bring statues of deities from their homes to pass over the fire, in the hope of good fortune.

The pilgrimage is one of the main events in the festival, representing a show of divine power and the dispersion of evil and bad luck. For four days, local believers burn incense in anticipation of Wangye’s visit. Other local temples usually send out a performance troop to accompany Wangye. The pilgrimage, accompanied by a multitude of firecrackers, is a very popular and boisterous event.

A special ceremony is held to move the boat from its construction site to the sea. This is usually held on the afternoon prior to the Departure Ceremony. A large parade is held throughout Donggang Township, where worshippers, residents and visitors all come to see the magnificent vessel. In the minds of the faithful, the boat travels around the community during the pilgrimage, gathering up evil spirits and bad luck along the way in order to ward off disease and other disasters. The large Wangye Boat traveling through the town is a rare and impressive sight. Storeowners often prepare food to welcome and thank Wangye for his protection. In accordance to Taoist teachings, some families even prepare paper figurines to put onto the Wangye Boat, carrying their bad luck with it.

In the final event of the ceremony, the seven village associations invite Wangye to board the Wangye Boat. At the time decided to be most auspicious, a Taoist priest carrying a hoe leads the chief organizer and others on the way to the ocean. After reaching the sea, the Wangye Boat heaves anchor and firecrackers are lit on board. With the help of incense powder and joss paper, the Wangye Boat is gradually engulfed in flames. The ritual burning signifies Wangye’s return to the divine realm. This event is generally considered the highlight of the entire festival.