Former "owners" of the turtles are always very generous, bringing back to the temple "dough turtles" large and more delicate than the former year, therefore, the scale of the "ciguei ceremony" expands every year; in recent years, due to the reason "dough turtles" often go to waste because people cannot finish them, Penghu Mazu Temple replaced the dough turtles which are hard to preserve with kilos of "rice turtle".
"Guei" (turtle) is one of the four spiritual animals according to customs; "praying for turtle, praying for luck, praying for safety”, the ciguei ceremony (pray for turtle) in Penghu are all meant to pray for safety, not really using real turtles. As time progressed, there have also been changes to the types of "turtle" used, from the earliest “fong-pian sticky rice turtles”, to the current "money turtle”, "gold turtle", "sticky rice turtle" or "jell-o turtle"; people will finish making the turtles on the eve of the Lantern Festival, and worshipped in the temple.
"gold turtle", "sticky rice turtle" or "jell-o turtle"; people will finish making the turtles on the eve of the Lantern Festival, and worshipped in the temple.
The divine bamboo strips are open to the public, and anyone who throws a “lucky stripe” will get to bring home the "dough turtle", representing a year of good work and health in the coming future. But this person also has to bring back to the temple, the equivalent amount of dough turtle taken home, and pass on the happiness to the next lucky person.
During the Lantern Festival, every temple in Jyudao will hang lanterns, and there will be a "seven star bridge" built outside the Mazu Temple in Magong, everyone here to ciguei can also pass through Mazu palankeen to pray for blessings. The ciguei ceremony revives the genuine feelings and sincerity of every person in Penghu, and the perfect moment to experience the most authentic "Penghu Love".
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