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    Zhushan Town held the first sexagenary Jiao celebration in 3 centuries, which entered the final stages on October 27. Lined on both sides of the tables with sacrificial offerings, every Jiao altar conducted the solemn Wuchao Fujiao ritual, creating a stately scene. In the morning, County Magistrate Ming-chen Lin visited the 9 temples co-hosting the Jiao celebration to burn joss sticks and pray for blessings. He was accompanied by Speaker Sheng-feng He, Legislator Shu-hua Hsu, Councilors I-chu Tsai, Su-hsia Hsu, Jui-fang Wu and Town Mayor Tan-i Huang. Together, they also presented the temples with plaque and joss paper. The proceedings were simple but ceremonious.

    County Magistrate Lin commented that Zhushan Town has not held a sexagenary Jiao ceremony for over 300 years. This year, with 9 major temples co-hosting the Jiao ceremony, town residents all welcomed the grand occasion with the utmost enthusiasm, while the County Government and County Council also perceive tremendous importance in the celebration. In addition to allocating funds to sponsor the “Zhushan Town 9 Major Temple Joint Anlong Religious Cultural Festival”, promotional campaigns are also implemented to attract citizens nationwide to join the majestic, traditional religious celebration. As the ceremony enters the 5th day, it is also drawing to a successful conclusion amid the most festive ambiance. He especially came to burn joss sticks and offer plaques as a token of appreciation, expressing his sincerest piety to the deities, praying for favorable weather, successful implementation of county policies and the wellbeing of county citizens.

    According to Legislator Hsu, the Jiao ceremony is a grand event on Zhushan Town’s calendar. The 9 major temples are each shrines to different deities, by jointly hosting the Jiao ceremony, they not only offer peace and blessing to the local communities, but also promote traditional religious culture and facilitate industry development. With close collaboration between the public and private sector, the people of Zhushan are united to foster wellbeing, harmony and prosperity.

    Chairperson of Keming Temple Fei-wu Yang, also the host of the Jiao ceremony, suggested that the event is a great opportunity to witness unprecedented unity in Zhushan Town. The Jiao ceremony comprises 9 major temples, fulfilling the town residents’ expectations of hosting a grand Jiao ceremony over the last 300 years. It is hoped that the Jiao ceremony will bring peace, prosperity, harmony and happiness to the town citizens. With participation from 28 villages throughout the entire town, the Jiao ceremony has set a precedent in Taiwan by creating a vivacious vibe.