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Coming-of-age ceremony for sixteen years-olds (做16岁) in Taiwan
Different from ancient Chinese coming-of-age rites whereby men attended Guan Li (冠禮, crown/hat rite) at age 20 and women attended Ji Li (笄禮, bun hairpin rite) at age 15, coming-of-age ceremony for 16 years-olds (做16岁) is the only unique custom  and most characteristic adult ceremony in Taiwan. According to the ‘Customs of Southern Taiwan’ (南台湾民俗), the coming-of-age ceremony for sixteen years-olds can be traced back to Qing Dynasty and it was started in ‘Wutiaogang’ (五條港, five harbors) area, west of Tainan City (台南市).

General

The customs of coming-of-age ceremony for 16-year-old is often related to the birthday of Qiniang Ma. The 7th day of the 7th month in the lunar calendar is the China's traditional festival of Tanabata as well as the birthday of Qiniang Ma (七娘妈, the Fertility Goddness). In southern part of the Fujian province and Taiwan, Qiniang Ma is worshiped as the genuine protector of children’s safety and health. Taiwanese people believed that the ‘bird mother’ (鸟母) takes care of children under the age of 16. The bird mother is entrusted by the Qiniang Ma; hence, Qiniang Ma is also the guardian angel of these children. The traditional Chinese Valentine’s Day is also the day of prayer for Qiniang Ma’s protection over children in Taiwan. Every year, people gather in small groups to the Qiniang Ma temple to give flowers, fruit offerings, etc on this day.

Origin

In the past, a large amount of people from southern Fujian migrated to Taiwan in search of a better life and many of them never returned. They pinned all their hopes on their children; however, there was high mortality rate of children due to poor healthcare system. When the children were sick, parents often brought them to Qiniang Ma temple to pray for their children’s health and safety. In accordance with Tainan’s traditional practice, the child’s mother/grandmother would bring their child/grandchildren to Qiniang Ma temple with plenty of offerings after the child turned a year old. The child would then wear a necklace; a red string with antique coins or silver plates - with words of good wishes carved on it - until he or she turns 16. The necklace would then be taken off the child during Qiniang Ma’s birthday and a ceremony would be held by the family as an appreciation towards Qiniang Ma’s years of blessings. Some parents would invite relatives and friends for dinner to celebrate their children’s coming-of-age.

According to local legend, the custom of coming-of-age ceremony for sixteen years-olds might relate to Wutiaogang’s (五條港, five harbors) dockers as well. Back then, Wutiaogang was a meeting point of merchants from different places, and most of the local residents worked as coolies at the harbor. Among the coolies, many of those 16-year-old or younger who did not receive full wage. As a result, parents of the young laborers would call the foreman, relatives and friends to attend their children’s coming-of-age ceremony dinner in order to claim full wage from the foreman.

At Present

The coming-of-age ceremony for 16-years-old in Tainan is very distinctive from the general 18-year-old and 21-year-old rite of passage. The coming-of-age ceremony for 16-years-old can be either held at home or at temples. On the day of the ceremony, the maternal grandparents will send gifts such as clothes, bicycles to the children. The parents provide offerings which is part of the preparation for worshiping Qiniang Ma in Kailong Temple (开隆宫). (Kailong Temple is the most popular spot for having coming-of-age ceremony for 16-years-old in Tainan.) Upon arriving Kailong Temple, the child would have to perform three kneelings and nine head knockings (三跪九叩), which is a sequence of three sets of three kowtows in front of Qiniang Ma. After that, the parents will lift the kiosk of Qiniang Ma and asked children to crawl under the kiosk. Boys will then get up and turn anticlockwise around the kiosk three times, similarly girls would do the same but in the clockwise direction, to indicate the coming of age; ‘Chu Niaomu Jian [出鸟母间，bird mother]’). Bird mother (鸟母, Niaomu) is the immortal bird sent by Qiniang Ma to watch over the children, hence the phrase ‘Chu Niaomu Jian’ is to signify the child has grown up and is able to shoulder family and social responsibility. At the end of the ceremony, the kiosk of Qiniang Ma is burnt in worship.