As reflected in the expression “Fucheng, Lugang and Bangka,” Bangka, or today’s Wanhua District, is the earliest developed district in Taipei. With a history of over 300 years, it has experienced its most prosperous era, as well as its gradual decline. It is a place filled with traces and imprints of time; especially, temples and shrines can serve as a faithful witness to a certain period of time in history. This paper takes the Bangka Chi-tien Temple in the Wanhua District, Taipei as the subject of research, and focuses on the Mazu Pilgrimage Procession activity, which takes place every year on the 22nd of March according to the Lunar Calendar. Originally the private shrine of the Huang family built of rammed-earth, the Chi-tien Temple has been transformed into a public shrine in its present scale. Initially its Mazu Pilgrimage Procession activity was independently organized, later it was co-organized by Xinxing Temple, and finally held as part of the joint ritual ceremony in the Wanhua District. The activity was once suspended due to financial concerns, but was resumed later. Chi-tien Temple may not represent the entirety of the history and development in the Wanhua District, but it certainly constitutes an indispensible element. Religious belief is one of the civilizations created by humanity. It serves to resolve people’s sense of insecurity and frustration, and helps calm people’s minds. The Mazu Pilgrimage Procession activity organized by the Bangka Chi-tien Temple is significant as it marks not only the sacred and holy nature of the deity-human relationship, but also reflects the recognition of the emotional connection between the devotees. In addition to a faithful documentation of the preparation and execution of the Mazu Pilgrimage Procession activity organized by the Banka Chi-tien Temple, as well as the discoveries and suggestions made during the process of the research, this paper hopes to offer some insights as reference points for the future development of Chi-tien Temple.
