Chasing after Images and Entering the Diverse Boat Burning Festival Top

ASCDC
E-NEWSLETTER

No. 03

2014.09.30

Chasing after Images and Entering the Diverse Boat Burning Festival

Academia Sinica Digital Center／HSU CHIENHO

(人氣：761

)

Countless ashes billowed and flied in the air between heaven and earth the moment Royal Boat burned as if taking people's prayers up to clouds as the flame skyrocketed.

Along the southwestern coast of Taiwan footprints of crossing the sea have been left by ancestors among whom some people travelled safe and sound yet some experienced various disasters and misfortunes caused by unexpected environmental conditions. To expel evil spirits and pray for good luck residents in villages have handed down the belief and the custom of Royal Lords. Originating from the times when the public health was difficult to control in the past the outbreak of epidemics was considered the punishment imposed by Plague God and only by welcoming Royal Lords for worship could plagues be eliminated. Royal Lords have been the important gods of Taiwanese folk beliefs and can expel plagues and eliminate epidemic diseases; believers welcome and send Royal Lords in awe and hope they protect the local. Delicately carved and decorated with various symbols and implied meanings Royal Boat serves as the vehicle of the Royal Lords and represents the extremely important cultural symbol in the festival.

Talismans posted on the bow Qingan Temple(慶安宮) Xigang(西港) Tainan

To present the most gorgeous and magnificent aspect of Taiwanese folk beliefsfour photographers’ works collected in Cyber Island platform run by Academia Sinica Digital Center feature diverse appearances of Boat Burning Festival from different angles in the exhibition.

Boat Burning Festivals differ in accordance with places including the coasts of Yunlin and Jiayi (嘉義) Zengwen(曾文溪) River Donggang(東港河) River or Penghu (澎湖) which different features and rituals have been derived from. Such as Sanlong Temple in Liuqiu(小琉球三隆宮) people forming the fleet of fishing boats travel around the island to pray for safety before the ritual and the ritual “Casting Divination Chips” is considered a test for patience. Before the welcoming of Royal Lords one last name is selected from all members; later four God of Land Temples take the lead and use “Toubi”(頭筆) the pole of the divine palanquin trying to demonstrate a word on the beach; when the surname shown on the beach matches the previous result conducted through the Casting Divination Chips the coming of Royal Lords is then completed.

The photographer Huang Wen-po (黃文博) recorded 20 pieces of images from day to night; at that time people waited till midnight and successfully welcomed Royal Lords. In his photos we could see diverse Taiwanese folk beliefs shaping various cultural scenes.

A serial of photos taken by the photographer Chen Ting-ling (陳丁林) presented the solemn and grand Boat Burning Festival. From the beginning to the end of the ritual people could grasp the details through text explanations combined with vivid images and observe the solemn presence of Boat Burning Festival apart from the lively ritual of burning Royal Boat.

During the Boat Burning Festival people expect the performances of the folk parade (陣頭) in the procession and patrol the most; Yuyu Folk Art Performance Group (御輿團) integrates customs left from Japanese Colonial Period in Taiwan and the Centipede Array (蜈蚣陣) with spread nodes encircling layers by layers catch people’s attention even more showing the reverence and sincerity held by the people to engage in rituals of local beliefs.

Yuyu Folk Art Performance Group Wanlian Temple Wanli Tainan(臺南灣裡萬年殿)

Yuyu Folk Art Performance Group comprises villages and imitates the folk parade of Japanese festivals held for welcoming gods.

The Centipede Array QinganTemple Xigang Tainan (臺南西港慶安宮)

The Centipede Array of Qingan Temple prepared to depart for the procession from Wanan Temple Gongwenzai(公塭仔萬安宮).

The last ritual of sending Royal Lords the ignition of Royal Boat is a ceremony of crossover. In the image the fire engulfed the boat instantly and took away the local plagues and evil spirits in the roaring flame retrieving the peace again.

Sending Royal Lords held by Daitian Temple Liuying Tainan(臺南柳營代天院)

The ritual of sending Royal Lords was held in front of Daitian Temple which was different from that held beside the river commonly seen.

Sending Royal Lords held by Donglong Temple Sanliaowan Tainan(臺南三寮灣東隆宮)

The divine palanquin circled Royal Boat to send Royal Lords for departure.

During the ritual it is impossible for photographers to request any temporary pause for photographic records; thus a good picture should rely on photographers’ experiences and the understanding of the ritual. No pause may be made for folk records and preservation. Pieces of colorful and vivid images lead us to be engaged in the thorough ritual and to observe diverse aspects of solemn and lively festivals among the reflections of flame and water.

Four photographers’ works are gathered to become a diverse and mobile exhibition and uncover the mysterious veil of the ritual allowing people to glimpse the diversity of Taiwan folk festivals and jointly experience the hustle and bustle between the virtuality and actuality accompanying photographic images.