Quick Answer: When Is the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage?
The Dajia Mazu pilgrimage (大甲媽祖遶境進香, Dàjiǎ Māzǔ Ràojìng Jìnxiāng) is a nine-day, eight-night round trip from Dajia in Taichung to Xingang in Chiayi. Jenn Lann Temple (大甲鎮瀾宮, Dàjiǎ Zhènlán Gōng) sets the departure date and time by divination at the Lantern Festival. [1]
- Date: The procession generally takes place around the third lunar month. The date varies by year. [1][2]
- Route: The palanquin travels south to Fengtian Temple (新港奉天宮, Xīngǎng Fèngtiān Gōng) and returns to Dajia. [1][3]
- Calendar distinction: Mazu’s birthday is the 23rd day of lunar month three. Use the temple’s schedule for the procession. [3][5]
Look up both the day and the hour. Departure can be late at night. [3][4]
A crier (報馬仔, bàomǎzǎi) with a gong goes ahead of the banners and the palanquin. Residents hear him coming and can prepare to receive Mazu, a goddess associated with seafarers. Some households greet the palanquin with incense, while the host temple in Xingang receives the statue at its altar. [1]
How Jenn Lann Temple Sets the Date
On the fifteenth day of lunar month one, Jenn Lann Temple holds a divination ceremony with two crescent-shaped wooden blocks. The way they land is interpreted as Mazu’s response to the proposed time. Once the date is settled, the temple can announce the schedule and its main stops. [1][4]
In 2026 the temple listed a 10:05 p.m. departure on April 17 and a return on April 26. Departure was the first day of the third lunar month that year. The return was the tenth. Xingang hosts a birthday rite during the visit, even in a year when the procession ends before the goddess’s traditional birthday on day 23. [1][3][4][5]
From Dajia to Xingang and Back
From Dajia the procession passes through Changhua and Yunlin on the way to Fengtian Temple in Xingang, Chiayi. The temple’s schedule places the ceremony welcoming the statue to the altar before prayers for blessings and wishes for longevity. After those ceremonies the palanquin begins the journey north. [1][3]
The pilgrimage has had several destinations. Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior describes an earlier connection to Meizhou in Fujian, a later pilgrimage to Beigang in Yunlin and the adoption of Xingang as the destination in 1988. The present journey joins temples and communities across four counties and cities over a round trip of roughly 300 kilometers. [1][6]
How Communities Welcome Mazu
The crier’s gong comes first. Flag bearers and musicians follow, with a brigade of women carrying embroidered banners among the groups ahead of the palanquin. Along the route households and temples set out incense to welcome Mazu. Some worshippers kneel in hope of receiving her blessing as the palanquin passes. [1]
Food and water are another form of welcome. The 2026 announcement noted roadside snacks and services for people walking the route. The published schedule gives the main ceremonies and overnight stops, while the greetings between them depend on the communities the procession passes through. [1][4]
FAQs About the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage
Does the pilgrimage end at Fengtian Temple?
Fengtian Temple is the southern destination and hosts major ceremonies. The complete pilgrimage ends when the statue is returned to Jenn Lann Temple in Dajia. [1][3]
Is this the same as the Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage?
Baishatun’s pilgrimage is organized by Gongtian Temple in Miaoli and goes to Beigang. Dajia’s is organized by Jenn Lann Temple and goes to Xingang. Each has its own calendar and route. [1][2]
Sources
[1] Taiwan Ministry of the Interior. Mazu Pilgrimage from Zhenlan Temple, Dajia
[2] Taiwan Tourism Administration. Religious Activities
[3] Jenn Lann Temple. 2026 Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage Schedule
[4] Overseas Community Affairs Council / Central News Agency. 2026 Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage to Start on Night of April 17
[5] Taiwan Ministry of the Interior. Mailiao Gongfan Temple
[6] Bureau of Cultural Heritage. Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage