 Liou Fang Sacred Mother in Heaven |
Liou Fang Sacred Mother in Heaven is also known as “Liou Fang Ma”. Her name is Lin, Mei-Yun, living between the end of Ming Dynasty and the beginning of Cing Dynasty. She worked with her father since she was 8 years old to practice medicine and at 16 she carried on her father’s ideal to treat people with disease. He was murdered at 19 before getting married. As the legend goes, she made her presence felt to help people and her brothers decided to make a sculpture for her. She was granted a posthumous title known as the Sacred Mother of Heaven by the YuHuangDaDi, the God of the Heaven, to be worshiped by the people of later generations. When her five brothers and a cousin came over to Taiwan to open up wasteland, they often ran into dangerous situations and every time they got her help. Later they brought her golden statue to Taiwan for offering sacrifice to her spirit, which was done by her brothers and the cousin in turn each year. They are six in total, so the ceremony is called “Liou Fang”. Till now it has been lasted for more than three hundred years. According to the custom of the people in Taiwan, “Sacred Mother in Heaven” is respectfully called “Matsu” and “Ma” in short, and plus “Liou Fang” she is called the “LiouFangMa.”
LiouFang Matsu strides over the incense burner in the fourth lunar month, the ChifuWangYehChienChiu Day on the 18th day of the sixth lunar month and the ChungYuanPuDu on the 15th of the 7th lunar month are the most important days to religions at Huwei, in which, the activity of LiouFang Matsu striding over the incense burner is one that many towns, such as Douliou, Dounan, Huwei, Tuku and the like, take part in. The followers joined in it are as many as more than two hundred thousand each year. “LiouFangMa” is believed to be effectively responding to the prayers by many of her followers, they think that paying tributes to LiouFangMa is not the “family affair” to the Lin’s. Therefore, many followers now paying tributes to LiouFangMa are not necessary the offspring from Lin’s. Idols of LiouFangMa are enshrined at 36 places in five towns. One day falling on the 11th through the 15th day of the fourth lunar year is selected to change the location of holding sacrifice-offering ceremony. The location is changed by year to complete a cycle within five years.
Exhibition date: From April 11 to 15 each year
Address: No. 9, ShangWei, JhongSi Li, Huwei Township, Yunlin County
Time to Stay: 2 hours or shorter (recommend)
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| Transportation Information |
| Drive along No. 158 County Road to enter into Huwei. |