Kinmen residents mark Mazu's birthday with Bee Worship Ritual

Taipei, April 21 (CNA) Kinmen County residents took part Sunday in the annual Bee Worship Ritual, which involves trying to snatch eggs while avoiding swinging palanquins, on the birthday of the revered sea goddess Mazu in local folk religion.

The ritual, recognized as an intangible part of the offshore county's cultural heritage, is carried out during an annual sacrificial festival held on the 23rd day of the third lunar month to commemorate the female deity.

On Sunday, several villagers carried two swinging palanquins through a crowd, as temple elders tossed red duck eggs and rice cakes into the crowd and sprayed holy water, outside Fengshang Tianhou Temple in Jinhu Township.

As part of the ritual, adults and children darted into the path of the palanquins, trying to dodge the swinging sedan chairs and splashes of water to snatch the offerings, in a symbolic act believed to bring peace and good health.

Cheng Jung-chang (鄭榮璋), head of Fengshang Tianhou Temple, told CNA that the Bee Worship Ritual is unique to Kinmen and was inspired by the belief that beehives were located in the area near the temple.

According to local elders, wild bees were once common in the area, but they have now disappeared due to deforestation and other environmental factors.