新港奉天宮媽祖元宵遶境賜福 菩提居萬壽平安聚財燈參與盛典
新港奉天宮媽祖於2025年2月6日(大年初九)上午展開元宵出巡暨四年一度遶境吳地、三槺榔、18庄活動，經5鄉鎮40村里及72間宮廟，全程7天6夜徒步賜福。奉天宮媽祖元宵遶境過程中，包括貼香條、絞轎（加緊束縛轎桿）、出巡文疏、起馬炮、點戲、出發遶境、犁轎入廟、安座祈安等隆重的儀式，已於2010年被列為嘉義縣無形文化資產，2013年入選內政部台灣宗教百景之一。
新港奉天宮董事長何達煌接受媒體聯訪時表示，今年適逢新港奉天宮開台媽祖駐台404週年，更是新港奉天宮恢復四年一度18庄繞境的50週年，特別按照古香路的遶境範圍舉辦，祈求媽祖賜福台灣。奉天宮媽祖出巡遶境儀式莊嚴盛大，於上午7時30分由嘉義縣副縣長劉培東、大甲鎮瀾宮董事長顏清標、董事長鄭銘坤、新港奉天宮董事長何達煌、新港鄉長葉孟龍等人點燃頭號起馬炮後隨即舉行起駕典禮，上午8時點燃3號炮後正式展開遶境活動。媽祖鑾駕中午停駕民雄西昌慈雲亭，晚上將駐駕溪口鄉柴林福玄宮，農曆正月14日晚上回新港奉天宮廟口安營，農曆正月15日上午9時起駕遶境新港街面，晚上入廟安座。
新港奉天宮香火鼎盛，每年的大年初一和初四，全台信眾蜂擁而至徹夜排隊進宮祈求開台媽祖和金虎爺能保佑平安。但眾多信眾苦於年歲漸增或交通不便，無法親訪。新港奉天宮於115年首度開放網路報名點燈，委請菩提居執行『萬壽平安聚財燈』，媽祖慈悲體恤，一解信眾夙願。點燈科儀已於大年初六圓滿完成，參與點燈的信眾之燈座，亦於菩提居葉總經理的安排下，也位列繞境花車參與媽祖繞境盛典，意義非凡。
Xingang Feng Tian Temple Mazu Lantern Festival Pilgrimage Blessing – pu ti Longevity, Peace, and Wealth Gathering Lantern Participates in the Grand Event.
Xingang Feng Tian Temple Mazu Embarks on the 2025 Lantern Festival Pilgrimage on February 6 (Lunar New Year’s Ninth Day)
The grand once-every-four-years pilgrimage covers Wu Di, San Kang Lang, and 18 villages, passing through 5 townships, 40 villages, and 72 temples over a seven-day, six-night journey on foot. The event includes sacred rituals such as affixing incense tags, binding the palanquin poles (Jiao Jiao), presenting the pilgrimage document, firing the starting cannon (Qi Ma Pao), traditional performances, setting off for the pilgrimage, plowing the palanquin into temples, and the final enshrinement and peace prayers. Recognized as an intangible cultural asset of Chiayi County in 2010, the event was also listed as one of Taiwan’s Top 100 Religious Scenes by the Ministry of the Interior in 2013.
Chairman Ho Da-Huang of Xingang Feng Tian Temple expressed in a media interview that this year marks the 404th anniversary of Taiwan’s first Mazu enshrinement and the 50th anniversary of the temple's revival of the 18-village pilgrimage. Following the ancient pilgrimage route, this event seeks Mazu’s blessings for Taiwan. The grand departure ceremony took place at 7:30 AM, led by Chiayi County Deputy Magistrate Liu Pei-Dong, Dajia Jenn Lann Temple Chairman Yen Ching-Piao, Chairman Cheng Ming-Kun, Xingang Feng Tian Temple Chairman Ho Da-Huang, and Xingang Township Mayor Yeh Meng-Long. The pilgrimage officially commenced at 8:00 AM with the ignition of the third cannon. At noon, Mazu’s palanquin made a stop at Minxiong Xichang Ciyun Pavilion and later rested overnight at Chailin Fuxuan Temple in Xikou Township. On the night of the 14th day of the Lunar New Year, the pilgrimage returned to the temple entrance, and on the 15th, at 9:00 AM, Mazu continued the parade through Xingang before concluding with the enshrinement ceremony at night.
Xingang Feng Tian Temple is renowned for its thriving incense offerings. Every year on the first and fourth day of the Lunar New Year, worshippers from across Taiwan flock to pray for blessings from Mazu and the Golden Tiger Lord. However, many devotees face difficulties due to age or transportation constraints. To accommodate their wishes, the temple introduced an online lighting ceremony for the first time in 2025, entrusting Bodhi Residence to conduct the "Longevity, Peace, and Wealth Gathering Lantern" ritual. With Mazu’s compassionate approval, the ceremony was successfully completed on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. The lantern seats of participating devotees, under the arrangement of Bodhi Residence General Manager Yeh, were also placed on the pilgrimage float, symbolizing their spiritual presence in this sacred event.
