The worshippers caught between China and Taiwan - BBC News

Many Taiwanese follow religions with deep ties to China, which delights Beijing but worries Taipei.

29 December 2023Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Elaborate Mazu religious processions often attract thousands of worshippers in TaiwanBy Tessa Wong & Joy ChangBBC News, Singapore & TaipeiEvery year, Chang Ke-chung journeys from his home in Taiwan to China to carry out a sacred duty.

He worships Mazu, a sea goddess with millions of followers in Taiwan and ethnic Chinese communities around the world. For them, a pilgrimage to Mazu's home temple in Meizhou in southern China is an essential act of faith.

"We feel we are Mazu's children, so it's like we are accompanying our mother to visit her ancestral home," said Mr Chang, who leads a Mazu temple in Taiwan.

"I've been to China so many times now that every time I go there, it's like I'm home, I'm in my own country."

Such sentiments delight Beijing but worry Taipei. They put Taiwanese worshippers at the centre of a political tug-of-war, especially with presidential and legislature elections coming up in just two weeks.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-67779220?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

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