TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The annual Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage began early Friday morning, setting off from Baishatun Gongtian Temple. 

This year, 329,118 people registered to participate in the journey, CNA reported. Participants flooded the streets around Gongtian Temple on Thursday night to join the procession, which departed shortly after midnight. 

Among religious pilgrimages in Taiwan, the Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage is unique because it does not follow a predetermined course to Yunlin. Instead, organizers cast moon blocks to divine which route they should take on the journey, which means the sedan chair carrying the idol can potentially visit small shrines and temples in rural areas. 

The event is the second-largest religious event honoring Mazu in Taiwan. It occurs two weeks after the Dajia Matsu Pilgrimage, which this year drew over 800,000 for its concluding celebration.

The Baishatun pilgrimage, which covers approximately 400 km, has been growing in popularity. Organizers expect that with the addition of people who join without registering, the total number of participants this year may exceed 400,000, per UDN. 

The procession south will take worshippers from Miaoli, through Taichung, Changhua, and Yunlin. Upon reaching Beigang Chaotian Temple in Yunlin, a welcoming ceremony will be held before the pilgrimage heads north again. 

Given the unpredictable path of the journey, Mazu’s arrival time in Yunlin and her return to Miaoli vary each year. However, the pilgrims who complete the journey are expected to finish on the afternoon of May 11, per CNA.