Essential Forces for Taiwan’s Progress

In our former agricultural society, people used festivals such as the Lunar New Year, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-­Autumn Festival and the Winter Solstice to mark the passage of time. Alongside their significance in terms of praying for good fortune and bringing families together, they also offered opportun­ities for relaxation following busy farming seasons. After faith in Mazu came to Taiwan, with its transcend­ence of ethnic groups and places of origin, it became increasingly integ­rated with local culture and gave rise to various celebrations and cultural activ­ities, including pilgrimages.

In 2010, the Bureau of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture registered the Dajia, Beigang and Baishatun Mazu pilgrim­ages as nationally significant folk tradi­tions. In this month’s Cover Story we look at some of the unique craftsmanship expressed in Mazu temples, as well as images of pilgrimages and the experiences of foreigners joining in worship activities, to show how Mazu culture continues in present-day Taiwan.

In this issue we also report on NRICM101, a Traditional Chinese Medicine preparation used in the treatment of Covid-19 that was developed in Taiwan and is now sold in more than 50 countries; on technologies for 3D printing of “biomimetic materials and structures for tissue integration,” which earned the Industrial Technology Research Institute an R&D 100 Award in 2021; and on the develop­ment of an absorbable hemo­static powder, for which its inventor, Allen Y. Wang, won an R&D 100 Award in 2018. Achievements like these showcase the inter­national impact of Taiwan’s innovative prowess.

After six months of restoration work, sculptor Huang Tu-shui’s marble statue Water of Immortality is once again on public display a century after it was created and 50 years ­after it disappeared. The Chinese crested tern, thought to be extinct, has also re­appeared after a 60-year absence. It was found on Matsu by documentary filmmaker Liang Chieh-te, who discovered four pairs of adult birds and four chicks, providing the first ever record of this species breeding.

We can say that belief in Mazu is not only part of Taiwan’s history, but has also been a stabilizing force in our society. By the same token, the restoration of historic artworks and the conservation of endangered species, and even the environmentally responsible actions of “B Corp” enterprises, are regener­at­ive forces that help make Taiwan sustainable. Meanwhile, innovation and R&D in technology and medicine are essential forces for Taiwan’s continuing advancement.