Author:

Category：Photograph

Material:Paper

Year：1950~1969

Size:Length:50.7 x Width:61.1 (cm)

Size description：尺寸為照片尺寸，單位公分，20*24"規格

Introduction：Located on No. 60, Guandimiao, Nanshi Village, Madou District, Tainan City, Madou Daitian Temple is commonly known as the “Five Dukes Temple,” worshipping the Five Dukes (Duke Li, Chi, Wu, Chu, and Fan). Originally, between lunar March and April, a ritual would be regularly held prior to the birthday of Duke Li, the eldest duke, and the event was known as “Madou Incense,” which was hosted by Madou Daitian Temple. Later, the event was changed from being held annually to triennially in years of the Ox, Dragon, Goat, and Dog, becoming a major religious event in the Madou region. Ho Huei-Guang was interested in folk customs and religious activities. He observed closely the rituals and related social network, often recording pilgrimage, reception, planchette writing (fuji), and procession formations, as well as believers’ daily practice of worshipping the deities in temples.

Between 1952 and 1966, Ho Huei-Guang lived around Xinying, Tainan. When he caught wind of special religious activities or large-scale festivals, he would leave his photo studio to the photographers he hired, and ride a bus, or a bicycle, and then walk to those festivals to take photographs. In this picture, Ho climbed up a platform that gave him an overview of the place in order to capture the scene of believers and worshippers from various places swarming into the festival. Only by elevating the angle could he capture the three magnificent halls, the Guanyin (Avalokitesvara) Hall, and the temple square crowded by male and female worshippers wearing bamboo hats and raincoats, or holding umbrellas, as well as the pagoda across from him, where more spectators of the robust scene stood.

Chen Ting-Yu, National Center of Photography and Images Collection Metadata, 2019

Media and Techniques：Gelatin silver print

Accession number:NCP2017-027-0012