Taiwan's Largest Festival, Mazu Festival, Postponed Due to COVID-19

[Image source=Taiwan Tourism Bureau website/www.taiwantour.or.kr]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Taiwan's largest festival, the Mazu International Festival, has been postponed due to concerns over COVID-19 infections. The Taiwanese government has raised its response level to the highest due to COVID-19 cases and is reportedly preparing a $2 billion (approximately 2.4344 trillion KRW) economic stimulus budget to counteract the economic downturn.

According to foreign media such as the AP News, as the Taiwanese government increased its COVID-19 response level, the Mazu International Festival, Taiwan's largest festival originally scheduled for mid-next month in Taichung City, has been postponed. The Mazu Festival is a 47-day-long celebration around March 23, the lunar birthday of Mazu, the sea goddess worshipped in Taiwan. During the festival, a pilgrimage covering 330 km over 8 nights and 9 days to various temples begins, usually attended by more than 10,000 devotees. Previously, in April last year, Foxconn founder Terry Gou made headlines worldwide by claiming that the Mazu goddess instructed him to run for president, leading to his candidacy in the election.

Alongside this, the Taiwanese government has introduced economic stimulus measures to prepare for the overall economic downturn caused by the slump in the tourism industry, which were approved by the Taiwanese legislature. On the 25th, Taiwan's legislature approved a $2 billion economic stimulus package that includes subsidies for the travel industry hit by COVID-19, tax reductions for tour bus drivers, and loan funds for small and medium-sized enterprises.