When: 25 March 2006 ~2 April 2006 Where: 14F.,No.5,Xuzhou Rd.,Zhongzheng District City 100,Taiwan, Taipei City Cost This is the Mad March Matzu Mania, which the young and wild you simply mustn’t miss. You’ll have opportunities to challenge yourself as you walk over 300 km with hundreds of thousands of the faithful, and experience the extraordinary impact of this great religious event. As part of its Youngsters Explore Taiwan series of activities, the National Youth Commission (Executive Yuan) invites young people from Taiwan and overseas to get themselves well versed in Taiwan folk culture by taking part together in the Da Jia Matzu Pilgrimage, and to write about this profound cultural experience. I. What’s it all about? The Da Jia Matzu Pilgrimage is the most large-scale of typical worshipping activities in Taiwan, and the main event recommended in 2006 by the National Youth Commission for international young people to share by way of Internet blogs the fruits of what they learn, giving other youngsters in Taiwan and overseas a taste of their experience through the virtual arena. II. What does it involve? For the goal for ‘Let’s be Friends’ pairings of Taiwan and overseas nationals, exploring Taiwan together, with an opportunity to walk and carry incense from dawn to dusk with hundreds of thousands of believers, to experience their piety, taste Taiwan folk culture at first hand and enjoy the passion and hospitality of the people of Taiwan along the way. III. Host: National Youth Commission (Executive Yuan) IV. Expected participants. i. Young people with an interest in youth travel and cultural exploration, who possess stamina and willpower, and the capacity to walk long distances, and enjoy writing about their experiences in order to share them with others. ii.Young people between the ages of 18 and 30 from Taiwan and overseas, (each pair to comprise one young person from Taiwan and one young person from overseas.) V. Details: i. Dates: 25th March 2006 to 2nd April, 2006 ii.Itinerary: Based on the eight days and seven nights schedule of the Da Jia Matzu Pilgrimage, incorporating the Da Jia Jhenlan Temple in Taichung County, the Nanyao Temple in Changhua City, the Fusing Temple in Siluo Township, Yunlin County, the Fongtian Temple in Singang Township, Jiayi County, the Fusing Temple in Siluo Township, Yunlin County, the Dian An Temple, in Beidou Township, Changhua County, the Tianhou Temple in Changhua City, and so on. iii. Briefing, assistance and advice from a seasoned campaigner Accomplished folk event organizer, Professor Lin Mao-sian, will assist by briefing participants and sharing his experience with them. VI. Rights and responsibilities i. Rights 1. To be provided with a rucksack, hat, T-shirt, and pitcher. 2. To be provided with accommodation. 3. To be provided with accident and medical insurance to cover the duration of the journey. 4. Participants who complete the distance will be issued with a certificate by the National Youth Commission, and will be entitled to participate once, free of charge, in the Commission’s summer vacation Taiwan Study Tour (choosing the route they wish to take). ii.Responsibilities 1. To take part in the 19th March lecture by Professor Lin and pre-departure briefing. 2. Each pair must write and submit daily a blog, in English (of about 500 words), together with photographs, to the National Youth Commission’s youth tourism website, to be shared with the rest of the world. VII. How to sign up. i. Any pair (one member having Taiwan nationality, the other having a foreign nationality) meeting the eligibility requirements may visit the youth tourism website to download and complete the Da Jia Matzu Pilgrimage Youth Expedition Application Form, making sure to describe their relevant travel experience and motivation and expectations in relation to this activity (about 150 characters on each). Completed forms should be sent to [email protected] (Enquiries, Tel: 02-23566302, Fax: 02-23566287). If there are more than 12 applicants ,we will make the decision based on the applicant form. ii.The National Youth Commission will consider each group’s application, with a view to selecting six groups. The names of those selected will be announced on 17th March 2006 on both the Chinese and English websites for this event. English: http://youthhub.net.tw Chinese: http://youthtravel.net.tw VIII. Any additional information to be released, will be announced separately. --

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