TAIPEI -- Thousands of people across Taiwan are celebrating the birthday of sea goddess Mazu with annual pilgrimages held in the third month of the Chinese lunar calendar, an event widely dubbed "March Madness for Mazu."

Among the most famous is the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage, in which a statue of the deity from Dajia Jenn Lann Temple in Taichung is carried in a multi-day procession visiting temples across the island.

This year's pilgrimage set off on the evening of April 17 and will last nine days and eight nights. Covering more than 300 kilometers, the route passes through Taichung, Changhua, Yunlin and Chiayi, stopping at nearly 100 temples before returning on April 26.

A key highlight came on Tuesday morning, when a grand birthday ceremony was held at Hsin Kang Feng Tian Temple in Chiayi. Beginning at 8 am, the ritual took place at an altar outside the temple, drawing tens of thousands of worshippers. The solemn ceremony lasted about two hours.

Across the Taiwan Strait, celebrations were also held at the Mazu temple on Meizhou Island in Fujian province -- recognized as the ancestral temple of the deity -- with representatives from 77 temples in Taiwan attending.

Mazu worship in Taiwan originated from the mainland, reflecting longstanding cultural and historical ties across the Strait. The belief system embodies values such as compassion and mutual assistance.

Mazu, a central figure in the Minnan culture shared by Fujian and Taiwan, is believed to be based on Lin Mo, a legendary woman from Meizhou Island who lived in the 10th century and was later deified as a protector of seafarers.

Brought to Taiwan by migrants from the mainland, the belief has thrived over time. Today, the island is home to more than 10 million followers and over 800 temples dedicated to Mazu.

Many participants in Tuesday's ceremony had been following the procession on foot since it began. Despite the hot weather, turnout and enthusiasm remained high. Some pilgrims carried tents, stools and spare clothing, while schools along the route opened their campuses to provide accommodation.

Hung Chien-chieh, in his 50s, has joined the pilgrimage for a decade. Due to a foot injury, he alternates between walking and cycling. "I hope to attend Mazu-related events on the mainland and eventually invite a Mazu statue back home for worship," he said.

Volunteers also play a key role. Ms. Gong, who has handed out watermelons to passersby for years, described Mazu as a symbol of compassion, kindness and perseverance. Others pointed to the strong sense of community, with growing numbers of volunteers offering free services each year.

Younger participants were also well represented. Lin Chin-cheng, 27, from Taichung, has taken part since the age of 21 and said he intends to continue. His team takes turns carrying ceremonial items including parasols, flags and gongs.

Following the ceremony, the procession began its return journey late Tuesday. In recent years, technology has made the event more accessible, with mobile apps providing real-time tracking and livestreams of the event.

Mazu worship has long played a role in cross-Strait exchanges. In 1987, a delegation from Dajia Jenn Lann Temple made a difficult journey from Taiwan to Fujian via Japan to pay tribute at Meizhou Mazu Temple, in a landmark visit after decades of political confrontation across the Strait.

More recently, in March, a delegation from Mazu temples in Taichung and Changhua traveled to Meizhou Island for worship, highlighting the shared cultural heritage across the Strait.

Mazu belief and customs were inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

Lee Fong-mao, a Taiwan-based religious studies scholar and former professor at Chengchi University, said traditional folk beliefs such as Mazu worship reflect a strong sense of connection among people in Taiwan to their ancestral roots on the mainland, embodying cultural ties shaped by shared geography and lineage.