David on Formosa

This morning I went to Xinzhuang (新莊) to see a temple festival. The event began at the Dizang Nunnery (地藏庵). It was the first time I have visited this temple. It has 250 years of history and is very impressive.

The parade began with loud and colorful events at the Nunnery. It then wound its way through the streets of Xinzhuang. There was no shortage of fireworks and music, especially the beating of drums, to accompany the events.

This man has cut himself as part of a ritual. The blood on his chest has come from cutting his scalp using the rather fearsome looking weapon in his right hand.  

The two men in the background are DPP politicians. I only noticed this detail while looking through the photos on my computer. Religion and politics aren't afraid to mix here in Taiwan.

I took many photos and it will take me a while to sort through them all. I created a photo set at flickr and uploaded some more to my photo gallery.