Taipei City Government

On April 13 and 14, Taipei Zoo and Kinmen County Government will collaborate on the 2019 Wudao (Kinmen) City God Cultural Tourism Festival and Otter Conservation Event.

During this period, a small-scale pilgrimage procession from Kinmen, the “centipede procession” the “husband-carrying-wife dance,” and other traditional folk performances will be specially arranged to take place at the Zoo’s entrance plaza. To partner with Kinmen’s promotion of otter conservation, animal mascots will also be at the plaza to greet everyone. Please don’t miss this great opportunity to experience it all!

The Taipei Zoo has been working with Kinmen on conservation projects over the past few years. Several years ago, the Zoo joined the wild animal rescue and rehabilitation initiative led by the Forestry Bureau and was responsible for looking after Da Qin (大金), Xiao Qin (小金), and Qin Sha (金莎) – three otter pups from Kinmen. They have brought pleasant memories for many visitors to the Zoo over the years and are all now adults. Xiao Qin and Qin Sha have successfully reproduced twice for a total of 3 otter pups, which has encouraged everyone to pursue subsequent otter conservation work. Kinmen’s Eurasian otter conservation has gradually become one of the key topics that Taipei Zoo actively publicizes. Taipei Zoo has made visits to Kinmen many times to work with the county government to co-host discussion forums and educational activities, with the hope that more and more local people will come to understand the rarity of Kinmen’s otters and the imminent survival threats they are facing.

Wudao City God Cultural Tourism Festival is Kinmen’s grandest annual religious festivity, which displays distinctive customs and traditional culture with the county’s local “zhen-tou” activities and events. The festival, which attracts crowds of visitors every year, has long been Kinmen’s cultural feast loved by the locals and the tourists alike. The 2019 Wudao City God Cultural Tourism Festival and Otter Conservation Event seeks to integrate folk culture and ecological conservation, so that people attending the religious festivals will also learn to be aware of the survival crisis that Kinmen’s otters are facing, which will thereby deepen the meaning of the festival’s traditional cultural events.

Otter conservation and Kinmen City God culture are two topics that appear to be drastically different, but won’t you be interested to see what magic they will ignite when brought together? On April 13 and 14 (Saturday and Sunday), there will be a morning and an afternoon show time (a total of 4 sessions), where there will be a small-scale pilgrimage procession, as well as the “centipede procession,” the “husband-carrying-wife dance,” and other traditional folk performances from Kinmen, taking place at Taipei Zoo’s entrance plaza. Animal mascots will also be at the events to accompany everyone taking part in Kinmen’s most authentic folk festival. We welcome people of all ages to come and enjoy it all!