Taipei Matsu

Beginning on September 16th and running for a week, 228 Peace Park in Taipei saw a gathering of Matsu followers organized by 16 Matsu Daoist Temples from within Taiwan. The biggest events happened on the 16th, starting with a parade through the Hsimen area of Taipei and ending at a temporary temple in the park. These shots were all from the first day.

*if you click on the photos, you will be taken to a bigger, better looking image. I encourage you to do so.

Large crowds showed up.
Young and old showed up and while always colorful, the clothing didn't always seem that reverent.


The followers from the different temples identified themselves through matching T-Shirts, hats or small banners and flags. Many used all the possible identifiers.



Music was a big part of the event.

While some of the musicians were quite skilled, others more or less went by the credo of "If you can't be great, at least make sure to be heard."The music was provided by folks of all ages. Generally speaking, traditional instruments were the order of the day.
Lots of interesting individual characters were available for portraiture too.







At almost every Taoist ceremony, the Eight Generals characters show up. With their colourful make up, dress and actions, they are always photographers' favourites.






Other colourful characters were a big part of the activities too.


By the end of the day, people (myself included) were exhausted.