The wind and the waves
The weather-beaten Penghu archipelago, in the Taiwan Strait, has seen its fair share of pirates and invading navies. Now it is welcoming tourists.Words and pictures by Cameron Dueck
The temple is filled with the fug of incense, the air musty with 400 years worth of prayers that have been offered up towards its wooden beams. I'm not a religious man, and certainly not one who prays to Chinese gods, but these are special circumstances. If it worked for pirates, it might work for me.
Outside, the tangy brine fills my nostrils and the unrelenting wind tugs at my hair. I stand at the threshold, the darkness of the temple behind me, the sea just a few blocks away, knowing that thousands of sailors have stood in this spot, like me, wishing the winds would back off a little.
From the Penghu Mazu Temple, the goddess of the sea, known as Tin Hau in Cantonese, has watched over this Taiwanese archipelago's seafarers for four centuries, offering her protection from countless typhoons like the one that is now darkening the skies.
I came to notoriously windy Penghu, an archipelago of 90 islands, to experience its maritime culture and soak in the folklore of pirates and conquering navies. Now I'm experiencing the uncertainty of being a Taiwan Strait sailor. Penghu's mariners learned long ago that the winds are out of their control, hence the 183 temples scattered across the islands, some large and grand, others so small and nondescript they're hard to find.
Severe Tropical Storm Fung-wong is churning her way north, aimed squarely at Taiwan. As soon as my flight touched down in Magong, the islands' main town, my skipper called to warn me that our sailing trip would be delayed.
Like any restless shore-bound sailor, I seek ways to kill time.
