In the early years, the pestilence threatened people's lives in Taiwan. Hence, the residents had a tradition to worship the "God of Plague," who is known as "Wangyeh" in Taiwanese. All the Wangyeh temples along the southwest coast of Taiwan organize a unique ceremony activity known as "burning the Wangyeh's boat." It is a symbolic act of burning up the disease in order to drive away the plague and pray for the safety of the residents. The most famous of these ceremonies in Taiwan are held in Dongkang (East Port) of Pingtung County, Hsikang (West Port) of Tainan County, and the Ryukyu Islands. The largest of these ceremonies is the one in Dongkang.

      According to "The History of Donglong Temple," Wangyeh's original name was Wen Hong. He was born during the Sui Dynasty in the 7th century. He once saved the life of Emperor Tangtaizong and was rewarded with an official post as a general in the Tang Dynasty. He died in an accident on the sea during an official visit around the country. He received the name "dai tian xun shou" (representing the emperor to visit and hunt) given by Tangtaizong after his death. Additionally, the emperor ordered people to build a boat in his honor and worship him whenever the boat arrived. Wen Hong often made his presence and saved many lives on the seas. During the time when Chinese immigrants arrived in Taiwan, people suffered from a severe pestilence. As a result, their faith in Wangyeh's protection has become increasingly popular in Taiwan.

"Dai tian xun shou," meaning "representing the emperor to visit and hunt," was a touring officer who helped the emperor to investigate the actual conditions of the people's lives. Therefore, in the folk religion, people believe that when Wangyeh comes to visit, he can combat pestilence and drive away evil spirits too. The Wangyeh boat festival became a religious ceremony in which people welcome Wangyeh's visit and carry out his duty of "visiting and hunting."

Dongkang Donglong Temple

Inviting Wangyeh

Boat touring procession

Uploading

Seeing off Wangyeh

 
　 Date  : the 9th month of the lunar calendar, held
　　　　 every three year
　 Place: Donglong Temple, Dongkang, Pingtung
　　　　 County

      The Wangyeh Boat Festival in Dongkang is held every three years in the 9th month of the lunar calendar. The precise date will be decided after consulting with the spirit of Wangyeh. The seven days long festival begins with the ceremony of "inviting Wangyeh" and "passing over the fire" on the first day. It is followed by four days of processions. The ceremonial boat touring procession is held on the sixth day. On the last day, a ceremony is held for "seeing off Wangyeh" in which the worshipers will burn the boat in a symbolic act of dispelling diseases.

      Normally, the construction of the ceremonial boat begins half a year before the festival. The residents construct a "boat factory" on the square in front of the temple. The boat builders commence to work according to Wangyeh's will; there is a joss set up in the factory so that the builders can worship Wangyeh before working every day. During the construction, people not involved in building the boat cannot come near the boat. Females especially should keep away from the boat at all times. The construction of Wangyeh's boat follows an ancient technique involving several stages, including woodwork, carving, painting, coloring, and decorating. The shape of the boat is magnificent as well as elegant, the structure is complicated, and the carving is delicate. As a result, the building cost is often more than a million NT dollars. During the construction of Wangyeh's boat, local residents offer help to one another by donating money and efforts according to their means, and the hearts of the residents are brought together through the boat-building process.

      The opening ceremony is known as "inviting Wangyeh." The temple officers toss a divination device to decide which deity will be in charge this year in recognition of Wangyeh. Meanwhile, people gather from near and far to carry the sedan chair to the seashore for welcoming the arrival of Wangyeh. After the messengers announce Wangyeh's arrival, all the festival troupes will accompany the sedan chair back to the temple. This is followed by a ceremony in which Wangyeh's sedan chair is carried over a path of hot charcoals. Afterward, the joss of Wangyeh will be seated in the temple. In the following four days, a magnificent procession is conducted in order to drive away evil spirits and pestilence.

      On the 6th day of the festival, a great banquet honoring Wangyeh takes place. The ceremony is under a solemn atmosphere in hope that Wangyeh can depart with a pleasant mood. When the last day of the festival comes, Wangyeh's boat is carried on the shoulders of devotees to the seashore. The shop owners along the road and the local residents set up sacrificial tables adorned with flowers and fruits. They pray with incense sticks and set off firecrackers for seeing off Wangyeh. When the procession arrives at the seashore, worshippers put daily necessities such as firewood, rice, oil, salt, sugar, charcoal, and wine onto Wangyeh's boat in what is known as "uploading." At midnight, after the ceremony of "seeing off Wantyeh," the worshippers set a fire on the tons of sacrificial paper money and burn the Wangyeh's boat in hot flames. The light of dawn shines upon the worshippers' faces as the ceremony reaches its end. They believe that the resplendent boat fading away in the fire will then sail to the heavens and take away all the pain from their mortal lives, bringing back hope to the people in return.