同轎進香的佳話 vs. 搶轎惡棍的邪惡

 

【雙魚之論】英文拷到 G / D 找中文翻譯
The joint pilgrimage of Baishatun Mazu（白沙屯媽祖） and Shanbian Mazu（山邊媽祖） began a century ago as a cherished story of collaboration, born from insufficient manpower to carry the palanquins. In practice, Shanbian Mazu travels to Baishatun, where Baishatun Mazu first enters a light bamboo palanquin, followed by Shanbian Mazu, before they set off together.

On the return journey, the palanquins are separated at the southernmost point of Baishatun’s ritual circle, Chiumao Park (邱茂園, known locally as 四窩 “Four Nests”), with each deity carried back by the traditional eight-person team. The next day, the two Mazus reunite for a joint procession to patrol the sacred territory.
While the mountain-line Dajia Mazu（大甲媽祖） pilgrimage and the sea-line Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage have long been friendly and held separately. Yet, their scales are now nearly comparable. Dajia drew an estimated 600,000 participants in 2025, while Baishatun reached a record 330,000 registrants. The rapid surge in Baishatun’s numbers raises concerns about whether it might face a repeat of Dajia’s notorious “human incident”—marked by relentless palanquin-snatching and brawls—and how the leaders of Dajia’s Jenn Lann Temple（鎮瀾宮） will maintain their composure amid this growing rivalry. The scheduling of Dajia’s pilgrimage (April 4–13, 2025) before Baishatun’s (May 1–11, 2025) this year, reversing the traditional order, hints at underlying tensions. Baishatun’s route, guided by divination, is typically more flexible, while Dajia’s is rigidly structured. This shift may reflect Jenn Lann Temple’s attempt to assert dominance or counter Baishatun’s rising popularity.
After Baishatun Mazu made history by residing at Nantou’s Songboling Shou Tian Temple（松柏嶺受天宮）, speculation swirled during the northward return about a possible detour to Dajia. On the evening of May 9, at a critical divergence point en route to Dajia—likely on the Dajia River Bridge along Taiwan highway Route 61—a palanquin-snatching incident occurred. About a minute later, the palanquin pole snapped cleanly, an unprecedented event that sparked widespread speculation among devotees. Traditionally, flowing water is believed to weaken a deity’s jurisdictional authority, rendering a river a “neutral zone.” The deliberate timing and location of the incident suggest intentional provocation.
The Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage’s soaring popularity stems from believers’ pursue of a pure, direct connection to Mazu—a return to simple faith and emotional resonance, untainted by violence or injury. Yet, troublemakers are now mimicking the chaotic patterns of the Dajia pilgrimage, polluting this sacred event.
This situation recalls the medieval Catholic Church’s corruption, which fueled the Protestant Reformation as people sought a direct bond with God, bypassing institutional intermediaries, and the Kuomintang’s repeated missteps during the past year (defying legal and societal norms), which boost broader recall movement of its legislators from civic society.

白沙屯媽祖與山邊媽祖的合轎進香，原來是百年前轎夫人力不夠，所以合轎來分攤的一段佳話。實務上，山邊媽過來白沙屯，白沙屯媽祖先進入竹轎，然後山邊媽再進入，然後出發。
回程，是在白沙屯祭祀圈最南端「四窩」（邱茂園）先分轎，之後各自以傳統八人轎回鑾。次日，兩媽祖再以聯合出巡的方式，繞境祭祀圈。
相對大甲媽祖估計為60萬人，2025年白沙屯媽祖報名為33萬人，雖是山線、海線長年各自舉行，卻已經是旗鼓相當之勢。或因為今年報名人數增加太快，我正在納悶會不會出現大甲的「人世間事件」（不斷搶轎與鬥毆），以及大甲鎮瀾宮幹部要如何平衡往日泰然的心理？今年大甲媽祖進香日期提早於白沙屯進行似乎透露些許端倪。

白沙屯媽創下歷史駐駕南投受天宮後，逐漸北返時傳出：白沙屯是否會在回程前往大甲的揣測？果不其然，在5/9傍晚，約在台61線大甲溪橋上一個前往大甲路程的最後分歧點上，也是，出現搶轎（扛轎）的現象。約一分鐘之後，轎棍罕見的平整斷裂。信眾有各樣的揣測。傳統上流水會沖淡神明的管轄力的區域，河上等於是三不管地帶，搶轎發生的地點與模式十分刻意。
觀察的重點是：人們喜歡白沙屯媽祖進香，人數在近年直線飆升，就是人們只要單純只媽祖連結，就是回到單純的信仰與感動，不必擔心黑影幢幢與受傷。現在，惹事人卻複製大甲媽祖進香的模式，過來污染單純的信仰活動。
此事不禁讓人回想：中世紀天主教的腐敗導致新教興起（人們不想透過教會，而期望直接與神連結），以及國民黨這一年不斷犯錯（不惜與法律和社會對幹）的情景。

新聞深一度／百年閨蜜雙媽情　「同轎」典故源於「抬轎借人」    三立 20250510

白沙屯媽祖共乘神轎的山邊媽祖，這兩尊女神其實有一段感人的姊妹情深故事，相傳早年白沙屯拱天宮，擔心往來北港的路途數百公里，抬轎人力非常吃緊，於是向附近的「山邊庄」調派人力協助，後來兩庄決定合作，各出一半的人力和物力，並且讓兩位媽祖共乘一頂神轎前往北港進香，於是兩媽合轎的傳統就持續至今，成為津津樂道的民俗文化。