Unit 4 Celebrating Local Festivals in Penghu

　

Author: Yu-He Shu(許玉河)  Translator: Nikki Wang(王月玲)

Ⅰ. The Heart of the Village—the Temple

    There are many temples and churches all over Penghu.  These are places of worship for followers of popular religions such as temples for Buddhism and churches for Christians or Catholics. The different places for worship meet the needs of different people. Every temple has its own uniqueness, for example, Tianhougong, located in Magong, is the oldest temple for Ma-Tzu (媽祖) in Taiwan, with a history of four hundred years. Generally speaking, temples are the religious center of villages. Many worshippers would visit the temples to pray to the Gods. Temples offer spiritual support to the villagers. Moreover, the squares in front of the temples serve as good places for various kinds of religious celebrations, such as Taiwanese Folk Opera, Hand Puppet Theater, Pu Tu (普渡) rite, “Passing the Ping An Bridge (平安橋)” and so on. The squares are also great playgrounds for children. During the time when there were no community activity centers, whenever there were important issues to discuss, meetings would be held in the temples. The temples are always the grandest buildings in the villages. The building of the temples was the combined effort of the villagers, the townsmen and the worshippers. Inside the temples, there are tablets and stele on which are carved the history of the temples. Various kinds of sculptures, girders and distiches add to the artistic value of the temples. Temples have deeply influenced the lives and cultures of Penghu people.        

Ⅱ. Smooth and Safe - Begging Turtles on the Lantern Festival 

    The Lantern Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the first month in lunar calendar, it is also called ' Shang-Yuan Festival '. There are many forms of celebrations for this festival in Penghu; among them “Begging Turtles” or “ChiGuei (乞龜)” is the most frequently seen event. Turtles are the symbols of good luck and longevity, so the residents of Penghu, through “begging turtles” pray for a peaceful and safe year. In the early years, the turtles were made of flour and glutinous rice, etc. These days, the turtles are made of gold and piles of rice bags; besides, cigarettes, imported wines, fruit, cash and so on are also used as the articles for people to beg on Lantern Festival. Secondly, the “Lantern Riddles Game” attracts a lot of people, young and old, to participate in a contest of wits. In recent years, in some areas, erotic elements have become part of the celebrations of the Lantern Festival; this is in direct opposition to the original good intent of the customs and our desire for auspiciousness.

Ⅲ. April Showers Bring May flowers - Offering Sacrifices to Our Ancestor on the Winter Solstice

    The Winter Solstice is a very important traditional festival in Han society. There are many sacrificial activities on this day. For example, the elders will make rice animals, vegetable dumplings, Tang-yuan and many other things to offer to the Gods and our ancestors. The vegetable dumplings usually have may be sweet or savory; the rice animals are food made in animal shapes. They are the symbols of prosperity. Aside from holding a memorial ceremony for our ancestors at home, those who belong to clans which have their own ancestral halls will go there to offer sacrifices to their remote ancestors. These are good customs of remembering our ancestors. After the worshipping activities, in the noon or evening, people will have dinner parties in the ancestral hall, too (commonly called “Ancestor Eating” or “Winter Eating”). The participants of these activities are usually grown-up males who will discuss the major issues for the year or elect the clan representatives for the coming year. In this way, members of the same clan will get along with each other more harmoniously and the family will be more united, too.