Taipei [Taiwan], May 5 : The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is subsidising religious pilgrimages for Taiwanese temple-goers as part of its broader "united front" efforts, a Taiwanese intelligence official said on Sunday, as per reports by Taipei Times.
According to the official, the CCP is providing financial incentives for individuals to travel to China for religious events, offering subsidies to borough wardens and temple heads who recruit participants.
The intelligence source revealed that the CCP is either partially or fully covering the costs of Taiwanese citizens' travel to China for major religious gatherings. One recent example cited was a pilgrimage organised to Fujian Province to celebrate the 1,065th birthday of the sea goddess Matsu, a deity widely venerated in Taiwan.
The source said the initiative targets some of Taiwan's most prominent temples, with travel expenses largely covered except for airfare, which is usually paid by participants themselves. Once in China, attendees receive full hospitality, with local officials, including those from the Taiwan Affairs Office, often addressing the groups, reported Taipei Times.
"The CCP pays NTD 1,000 per person recruited by temple and borough heads to attend these events. If they manage to sign up 100 people or more, that rate doubles," they said.
As per the report, the campaign is designed to encourage mass participation and to strengthen people-to-people cultural ties between Taiwan and China, a source was quoted as saying.
"Temple-goers have also been invited to visit cultural sites in China to 'promote a language, ancestry and cultural roots shared between people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait,'" the source said.
While some borough wardens view the subsidised visits as free travel opportunities, others reportedly attempt to avoid the appearance of organised leadership. "Some borough wardens... meet up with the group later in China to create the impression that they are travelling separately," the source noted.
Officials have documented examples of such trips involving both large and small temples across Taiwan, including in Miaoli and rural Tainan, the Taipei Times reported.
"Accepting CCP-funded hospitality does not align with the norms of legitimate exchanges," the source said.
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