Extreme heat exacerbated by climate change could jeopardize the future of one of Taiwan's centuries-old traditions — the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage.
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00:00 Crouching under Mazu's sedan, hoping for good fortune.
00:07 Devotees of this major deity in Taiwan have been following her eight-day pilgrimage through the country.
00:14 It's physically taxing and even more so in this atypical heat wave.
00:25 Scorching hot, it's a sunny day but you can still see so many people here just to worship the god, the Mazu, the goddess.
00:31 Even under the beating sun, worshippers from all over Taiwan push forward to complete this annual pilgrimage.
00:38 This is Taiwan's biggest religious procession that follows the sea goddess Mazu some 300 kilometers through the country.
00:46 This year hundreds of thousands of people have shown up to take part.
00:50 But for many, the heat is almost unbearable due to an unseasonably warm start to the year.
00:57 Temperature records have been broken in the last few months,
01:00 with Taiwan seeing its hottest March day recorded when the mercury almost hit 40 degrees Celsius.
01:07 According to the health professionals traveling alongside the procession, the extreme heat took its toll.
01:14 We've had people who have been in heat for months and have been sent to hospital.
01:17 This is the hottest year of the year, so everyone is working hard.
01:21 Summer doesn't officially start for another two months, but with temperatures already well into the 30s,
01:27 there are concerns that the rapidly accelerating climate crisis would impact many of Taiwan's traditions.
01:33 Because of the high temperature, they are already considering reducing the number of people participating,
01:39 or even changing the way they participate.
01:43 In the past, they would walk the entire procession,
01:46 but in the future they might consider changing to public transportation or other means of completing the procession.
01:52 As this year's procession winds down, an occasional spring breeze offers these pilgrims some respite.
01:59 But as extreme temperatures become the norm,
02:02 the followers of mazu in this age-old Taiwanese custom are walking into an uncertain future.
02:09 Luffy Lee and Sally Ensign in Changhua County for Taiwan Plus.
02:13 us.
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