Taiwan's Nine Day Mazu Pilgrimage

TAICHUNG, TAIWAN - APRIL 23: People stand behind closed temple doors following the arrival of the goddess Mazu at Jenn Lann Temple on the final day of the nine day Mazu pilgrimage, on April 23, 2018 in Dajia near Taichung, Taiwan. The annual Mazu Pilgrimage begins at Jenn Lann Temple in Taichung and sees around 200,000 pilgrims walk up to 12 hours each day for nine days carrying a statue of Chinese sea goddess Mazu in a sedan chair. The journey covers around 350 kilometres, much of it through mountainous and rugged terrain and visits more than 100 temples before returning to Taichung. The centuries-old pilgrimage is now recognised by UNESCO as living heritage and with an estimated 5 million participants spread over the nine days, it is considered to be one of the greatest religious festivals in the world.(Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)