Da-Jia Ma-Zu 大甲 媽祖

Da Jia Jenn Lann Tample: The most famous temple of Ma-Zu in Taiwan

Mazu (s-Chinese: 妈祖; t-Chinese: 媽祖; pinyin: Māzǔ; Wade-Giles: Ma-tsu;literally "Mother-Ancestor"), also spelt Matsu, is the indigenous goddess of the sea who protects fishermen and sailors, and is invoked as the goddess who protects East Asians who are associated with the ocean. Her mortal name is Lin Moniang (s-Chinese: 林默娘; t-Chinese: 林默娘; pinyin: Lín Mòniáng). She is widely worshipped in the south-eastern coastal areas of China and neighbouring areas in Southeast Asia, especially Zhejiang, Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, and Vietnam, all of which have strong sea-faring traditions, as well as migrant communities elsewhere with sizeable populations from these areas.

Popular names Mazu (媽祖, literally "Mother-Ancestor"), or Mazu-po (媽祖婆, "Elder Lady Mazu"), transcribed as Matsu in Wade-Giles Tian Hou or Tianhou (天后, literally "Heavenly Empress" or "Heavenly Queen") or Tin Hau in Cantonese Tian Fei (天妃, literally "Heavenly Princess Consort"), pronounced as Tenpi in Japanese A-Ma or A-Po (阿媽, 阿婆, "Grandmother") Tianshang Shengmu or Tianhou Shengmu (天上聖母, 天后聖母, both meaning "Heavenly Holy Mother")

Official titles In Southern Song Danasty, she was given the first Title as "Princess of Supernatural Favour" in A.D. 1155 by Emperor Gaozong of Song. In the Yuan Dynasty, she was officially the "Protector of the Empire and the Brilliantly Outstanding Heavenly Princess" (護國明著天妃 Huguo Mingzhu Tianfei). In Ming Dynasty, she was given as "Holy Mother of Heaven Above" in 1417 by the Yongle Emperor. In the Qing Dynasty, she was made the "Heavenly Empress" (天后; Mandarin: Tiān Hòu; Cantonese: Tin Hau'). Her last imperial title was given as "Holy Mother in Heaven" in 1839 by the Daoguang Emperor.

Person According to legend, Lin Moniang was born in 960 AD (during the early Northern Song Dynasty) as the seventh daughter of Lin Yuan (林愿) on Meizhou Island, Fujian. She did not cry when she was born, and thus her given name means "Silent Girl." There are many legends about her and the sea. Although she started swimming relatively late at the age of 15, she soon became an excellent swimmer. She wore red garments while standing on the shore to guide fishing boats home, even in the most dangerous and harsh weather. According to legend, Lin Moniang's father and brothers were fishermen. One day, a terrible typhoon arose while they were out at sea, and the rest of her family feared that those at sea had perished. In the midst of this storm, depending on the version of the legend, she fell into a trance while praying for the lives of her father and brothers or dreamed of her father and brothers while she was sleeping or sitting at a loom weaving. In either story, her father and brother were drowning. However, Moniang's mother now discovered her and tried to wake her, and diverted Moniang's attention, causing her to drop her brother, who as a result drowned. Consequently, Moniang's father returned alive and told the other villagers that a miracle had happened. Other versions of the story relate four drowning brothers, with three returning and the fourth lost to her being revived (with no mention of a father). Mazu is usually depicted together with two guardian generals known as "Thousand Miles Eye" (千里眼, Qianli Yan) and "With-the-Wind Ear" (順風耳 Shunfeng Er). Their iconography, apart from resembling fierce demons can vary but "Thousand Miles Eye" is often red in color with two horns, while "With-the-Wind Ear" is green with one horn. They are said to have been two demons whom Mazu conquered and subdued, turning them into her own loyal guardians and friends.

With-The-Wind Ear Thousand-Miles-Eye

Mazu herself is usually depicted wearing a red robe in paintings or murals, but in sculpture is always clothed in the jewel-festooned robes of an empress holding either a ceremonial tablet or a jewel staff, and wearing the easily recognized flat-topped imperial cap with hanging beads front and back. The tomb of Mazu in Matsu VillageThere are at least two versions of Lin Moniang's death. In one version, she died in 987 at the age of 28, when she climbed a mountain alone and flew to heaven and became a goddess. Another version of the legend says that she died at age 16 of exhaustion after swimming far into the ocean trying to find her lost father and that her corpse later washed ashore on Nankan Island of the Matsu Islands.Buddhism and Taoism borrowed popular deities from each other in attempts to attract devotees to their temples. In an attempt to justify Mazu's presence in Buddhist temples, legends were circulated claiming that Mazu's parents prayed to Guan Yin for a son, but Guanyin answered their prayers with the birth of yet another daughter. It was then believed that Mazu was a reincarnation of Guanyin on earth, and it is Guanyin she is said to have been especially devoted to as a child. As a result, Mazu is recognized and respected in both the Taoist and Buddhist pantheons of deities, while some Buddhists believe Mazu to be one of Guanyin's many manifestations.

Da Jia Jenn Lann Tample 大甲媽祖鎮瀾宮

Riligions In Taiwan

Government figures

The table shows official statistics on religion issued by the Department of Civil Affairs, Ministry of the Interior ("MOI"), in 2005. The ROC government recognizes 26 religions in Taiwan. The statistics are reported by the various religious organizations to the MOI:

(*I have even never heart some of them..... ^^")

Religion	Members	% of total population	Temples & churches
Buddhism ( 佛教 ) (including Tantric Buddhism )	8,086,000	35.1%	4,006
Taoism ( 道教 )	7,600,000	33.0%	18,274
I-Kuan Tao ( 一貫道 )	810,000	3.5%	3,260
Protestantism ( 基督新教 )	605,000	2.6%	3,609
Roman Catholic ( 羅馬天主教 )	298,000	1.3%	1,151
Lord of Universe Church ( 天帝教 )	298,000	1.3%	50
Maitreya Great Tao ( 彌勒大道 )	250,000	1.1%	2,200
Tian De Jiao ( 天德教 )	200,000	0.9%	14
Liism ( 理教 )	186,000	0.8%	138
Syuan Yuan Jiao ( 軒轅教 )	152,700	0.7%	22
Islam ( 伊斯蘭教 )	58,000 +88,500 Indonesians	0.3%	6
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( 耶穌基督後期聖徒教會 )	47,000	0.2%	54
Tenrikyo ( 天理教 )	35,000	0.2%	153
Universe Mealler Faith ( 宇宙彌勒皇教 )	35,000	0.2%	12
Hai Tze Tao ( 亥子道 )	30,000	0.1%	55
Church of Scientology ( 山達基教會 )	20,000	< 0.1%	7
Bahá'í Faith ( 巴哈伊教 )	16,000	< 0.1%	13
Jehovah's Witnesses ( 耶和華見證人 )	6,223	< 0.1%	85
The Chinese Heritage and Moral Sources ( 玄門真宗 )	5,000	< 0.1%	5
Zhonghua Sheng Jiao ( 中華聖教 )	3,200	< 0.1%	7
Mahikari ( 真光教團 )	1,000	< 0.1%	9
Red Swastika Society ( 先天救教 )	1,000	< 0.1%	6
Huang Zhong ( 黃中 )	1,000	< 0.1%	1
Da Yi Jiao ( 大易教 )	1,000	< 0.1%	1
Total religious population	18,724,823	81.3%	33,223
Total population	23,036,087	100% -

(Following part is more transparent)

CIA figures

• Both Buddhist and Taoist: 93%


• Christian: 4.5%


• Other: 2.5%

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Buddhism, Taoism, and folk religion

According to the Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA ) of the USA, there are about 93% of people identifying themselves as Buddhists , Taoists , or practitioners of Chinese folk religion . However, as with the majority of East Asian religious traditions in general, identification with these faiths does not necessarily mean actual affiliation as it does in many other parts of globe. It is also common for people to practice a blend of the three religions. Some people practice Buddhism exclusively, but most blend Taoist religious practices with elements from Buddhism and folk traditions. It is not uncommon to find a Buddhist temple adjacent to a Taoist temple, or even under the same roof. One example of this is Longshan Temple in Taipei City . Religious diversity has never been a significant source of conflict in Taiwan.

Besides large temples, small outdoor shrines to local deities are very common, and can be spotted on roadsides, parks, and neighborhoods in Taiwanese cities and towns. These small pockets of religious atmosphere let people stop by and pray informally anytime. They also provide a safe environment for locals to practice meditation and various other forms of religious practice. Many homes and businesses may also set up small shrines of candles, figurines, and offerings. Some restaurants, for example, may set up a small shrine to the Kitchen god for success in a restaurant business. Students may visit a shrine to the Learning god for good luck before a test.

Taoist temples are highly decorative. Colorfully tiled sculptures of dragons and other mythological creatures highlight the roof, and temples are often filled with statues of many gods and semi-theistic historical figures, reflecting the polytheistic and ancestor worship tradition of Taoism and folk religion.

Festivities and picnics often take place at Taoist temples.

There are approximately 4.55 million or 4.5 million Taoists in Taiwan and 4.9 million Buddhists .

Buddhism

Buddhism was introduced to Taiwan in the late 1500s with the Chinese immigration. Several forms of Buddhism have thrived on Taiwan ever since. During the Japanese occupation, Japanese Buddhism ( Shingon , Jodo Shinshu , Nichiren Shu , etc.) was introduced as part of the overall policy of cultural assimilation by the colonial government. Although many Buddhist communities affiliated themselves with Japanese sects for protection, they largely retained Chinese Buddhist practices. For instance, clerical marriage and meat-eating did not make the headway they did in occupied Korea. Today, approximately 94% of Taiwan's population is Buddhist] .

Following retrocession, Taiwan was inundated with Mainland monks, including some who were considered to be of the best and brightest of the previous decades, such as Master Yinshun (Yìnshùn 印順). Tainted by the whiff of collaboration, outshone by these refugees, and underrepresented in the Chinese Buddhist Association (CBA) which served as a liaison with the government, the local lineages declined.

The CBA remained the dominant Buddhist organization until the end of martial law, when its government mandated monopoly was ended. Since the eighties, Buddhism has enjoyed a surge of popularity as the percentage of people identifying themselves as Buddhist rose from the low teens to almost fifty percent. Today there are several large Buddhist organization based in Taiwan that have expanded to become international organization. They include Dharma Drum Mountain (Făgŭshān 法鼓山 ) founded by late Master Sheng Yen ( 聖嚴 ), Buddha's Light International (Fógŭangshān 佛光山 ) founded by Master Hsing Yun ( 星雲 ), and the Tzu Chi Foundation (Cíjì jījīnhùi 慈濟基金會 ) founded by Master Cheng Yen ( 證嚴法師 ).

Tzu Chi , one of the largest international non-profit Buddhist organizations, focuses on community service, outreach programs, charity work, and international humanitarian efforts. They have opened hospitals, community centers, schools, and Tzu Chi University in Hualien County .

In the last few years non-Chinese forms of Buddhism, such as Tibetan Buddhism , the Soka Gakkai International and the Vipassana movement of S. N. Goenka , have also had growing followings...

Christianity

Christian churches exist on the Republic of China ( Taiwan ). According to figures given by the Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA ), Christians which include Protestants , Catholics , Mormons , and non-denominational Christians make up a total of 4.5% of the population of Taiwan.

Islam

Though Islam originated in the Arabian Peninsula , it had spread eastward to China as early as the 7th century AD. Muslim merchants married local Chinese women, creating a new Chinese ethnic group called the Hui people . Islam first reached Taiwan in the 17th century when Muslim families from the southern Chinese coastal province of Fujian accompanied Koxinga on his invasion to oust the Dutch from Taiwan. Islam did not spread and their descendants became assimilated into the local Taiwanese society adopting the local customs and religions.

During the Chinese Civil War , some 20,000 Muslims, mostly soldiers and civil servants, fled mainland China with the Kuomintang to Taiwan. Since the 1980s, thousands of Muslims from Myanmar and Thailand, who are descendants of Nationalist soldiers who fled Yunnan as a result of the communist takeover, have migrated to Taiwan in search of a better life. In more recent years, there has been a rise in Indonesian workers to Taiwan. There are an estimated 88,000 Indonesian Muslims living in Taiwan [ 12 ] , in addition to the existing 53,000 Taiwanese Muslims. All demographics combined, there are over 140,000 Muslims in Taiwan.

Falun Gong 法輪功

Even though Falun Gong is banned in China , people in Taiwan are free to practice it.

Common Taiwan Snacks

These are some common Taiwan Snacks, you can find them easily in most night markets.

Oyster-filled Omelet蚵仔煎(O-a-chian)NT$~50	The egg is added putting the mark to the water of flour with the debt by the ke child stir-frying (oyster omelet). The light that puts all of the vegetable etc. at the ke child end, completes, and puts some sauce on further that becomes very delicious.
Stinky tofu臭豆腐(Chou Dofu)NT$~40	Stinky tofu is a form of fermented tofu, which, as the name suggests, has a strong odor. It is put that the pan is painted with the fermenting bean curd and Nateki explodes, and knows the smelly tofu that completes the appearance in which pickles afterwards, with acidity with a good mouth hit are superadded and I am seen to be a very delicious.
Oyster Vermicelli蚵仔麵線(o-a mi-soa)NT$~50	Street vandors expertly combine handmade vermicelli with a variety of seasoned ingredients, such as slow-cooked pork-tripe and fresh oyster. Its great favor is the use of seep-fried minced shallots.
Shilin Super Size Huge Chicken Cutlet豪大炸雞排(Ho-Da Ja-Ji-Pai)NT$~50	Shilin Super Size Huge Chicken Cutlet is one of the most popular street foods in Taiwan. However, this snack at Shilin Night Market is famous for its jumbo size. It is 1.5 times larger than regular friend chicken; perhaps larger than your face. Taiwanese fried chicken is soaked in special sauce before frying, and its taste is mixed with spicy pepper and aromatic herbals, and the meat quality is tender and juicy; it is of its own kind other from common western style fried chicken.
Bubble Tea珍珠奶茶NT$~30	Pearl milk Tea originated from Taichung, Taiwan. It is a special beverage in Taiwan. The famous tea drink is made from little tapioca balls that are boiled in black sugar and dropped in the milk tea, which tastes great served cold or hot.
Wok-fried Squid生炒花枝(Sheng Chao Hua Zhi)NT$~50	Fresh squid is sliced and then wok-fried with garlic, red pepper, bamboo shoot slices, and carrots, and boiled with stock soup to make thick soup. Tasted somewhat sour with sweetness and aroma of basil; it opens up appetite. Squid itself has no distinct flavor, but the crisp chewing makes it one of the most popular seafood among Taiwanese people.
Health spareribs soup with Chinese medicine藥燉排骨(Yao Dun Pai Gu)NT$~90	Taiwanese like to maintain health with health enhancing diets, and the herbal stew of ribs is the most classic and affordable nutrient gourmet dish. Its stock soup includes more than ten varieties of Chinese herbal medicines that are stewed for 3 to 4 hours before used for boiling fresh pork ribs. Its dark appearance may look deterring, but after pork ribs are boiled to soft with flavors are brought out, the soup tastes light and sweet with unique aromatic scent of herbals.
Mango Ice芒果冰(Mango-bin)NT$~80	Mangos are among the tastiest fruits you can enjoy in Taiwan. While just eating the succulent sweet flesh is a great pleasure in itself, the experience becomes even more pleasurable when fresh mango is combined with ice cream or condensed milk atop shaved ice. In recent years mango ice has become extremely popular in Taiwan.
Fried Buns生煎包(sheng jian bao)NT$~10	These delicacies come with either a vegetable filling of cabbage and mushrooms or a meat filling of pork and scallions. As the patiently waiting customers like to note, “You haven't been to Shi Lin Night Market if you haven't had Shanghai buns.” But be careful when biting a freshly-cooked bun, lest you get burned by the hot juice inside.
Sausage Wrappened in Glutinous Rice大腸包小腸(Dacha-po-Xiaocha)NT$~40	A segment of Taiwanese pork sausage is wrapped in a (slightly bigger and fatter) glutinous rice to make this delicacy, usually served chargrilled. It may be compared to a hot dog. Deluxe versions are available in night markets in Taiwan, with condiments such as pickled bokchoi, garlic, and thick soy sauce paste to complement the taste.
Bun in a Bun大餅包小餅(Da Bing Bao Xiao Bing)NT$~50	This snack is recommended by many foreign tourists. Wrapped under handmade flour crust is a crispy, smaller fried cake that comes with optional fillings including bean paste, taro, sesame, curry, and chilly. It tastes totally different from western style desserts, and is one of the most famous key signature snacks. You may find Bun in a Bun stall in the Shilin Night Market.
Snow Flakes Crushed Ice雪花冰(Xue Hua Bin)NT$~80	Snow Flake Crushed Ice looks like layers and layers of snow flakes. It is a unique ice block with mixtures of flavors of milk, peanuts, coffee, and others, machine-chopped to beautiful layers of snow flakes; stacked up to more than 3 inches on a plate.

Source of Data : http://www.nightmarketsintaiwan.com/detail.html

Night markets in Taiwan 台灣夜市

Night markets in Taiwan

Night markets in Taiwan are street markets in Taiwan that operate in urban or suburban areas. They are similar to those in areas inhabited by ethnic Chinese, such as Southeast Asia. A few such as Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market (or Snake Alley) utilize purpose-built marketplaces but most occupy either sidewalks (pavements) adjacent to streets or entire streets that are normal thoroughfares by day. Some night markets in smaller side streets or lanes feature retractable roofs. Most of the markets operate daily and feature a mixture of individual stalls hawking clothing, consumer goods, xiaochi (小吃：snacks or fast food), and specialty drinks. The atmosphere is usually crowded and noisy with hawkers shouting and fast-paced music playing over loudspeakers.

Night markets in Taiwan today

Night markets in Taiwan have become famous for offering xiaochi foods (xiaochi literally translates as "small eats"). Served in portions much like Spanish tapas, these dishes are often taken as carry-out, though some sellers provide a few small folding tables with chairs. These dishes are offer at low prices, usually around 30 to 50NTD (around $1 to $1.75). If visitors are expected to be full from one trip at night market, they usually spend around 250 to 300 NTD ($ 7 to $10). Most night markets also have small restaurants provide simple courses that allow people to finish one meal without walking through the market.

Though some of the foods offered will change from year to year with passing fads, certain staples such as oyster omelettes (蚵仔煎 ô-á-chian), chicken shawarma (沙威馬 shāwēimǎ), and stinky tofu(pronounced tso-dofu) (臭豆腐 chhàu tāu-hū) persist. Sometimes, the night markets in one city, or even one particular market, become famous for a certain type of food. For example, Tainan has become known for its noodles (擔仔麵 tà?-á-mī) and "coffin cakes" (棺材板 guāncáibǎn), bread in the shape of a coffin which has been hollowed out and stuffed.In Taipei, Shilin night market featuring fried chicken breast from a particular store for its taste and size for low price. There is also tei-egg (鐵蛋:steel egg) from Danshui.

In recent years, few of the night markets have became one of the sightseeing places for foreign travelers. It’s common to see many travelers carry a camera capturing the crowds within the streets. Few of the night markets, such as Shilin (at Yuanshan, Taipei) and Shida night markets (next to National Taiwan Normal University) are the first place that Taiwanese students would bring international students to.

Besides food, night markets also feature numerous other products for sale, including clothes, bags, shoes, trinkets, kitchen items, etc. In addition, carnival-style games are typically available to play for the price of a few coins. The night market in Dan-shui especially features some traditional carnival games. Such as balloons shooting, net fish, shoot marbles and many mini games that can only been seen years ago. They offer really low price for playing and give out prizes to the kids.

Common Taiwan Snacks

Prelude OF Taiwan Features

There is abundance of special fascinations in Taiwan. Some of them are bustling, some are placid. I said so not only because I am a Taiwanese.  They are really charming for everyone who ever has seen them in person.

Unfortunately, some of them , especally the tranditional part, are ignored by public gradually in this modern age. Even numerous Taiwanese people never try to appreciate such beauty. The precious succeeding culture of Taiwan is fading away. That's why I attempt to help more people see them. Of course,I will introduce the lively part as well.

I am not one of the professionals of  Taiwanese custom. But I will still try my best to present the  beauty of  Taiwanese features for new friends.