"The 'night inspection tour by the deities' is a religious event that is unique to Lukang," says Lukang's mayor, Huang Chih-lung. In the old days, Lukang was the main commercial harbor between central Taiwan and mainland China. But businessmen were not the only ones to flourish. The harbor also attracted pirates, bandits, and epidemic diseases.
「神明暗訪是鹿港特有的宗教活動，」鹿港鎮長黃正隆指出，當年鹿港是中台灣與泉州對開的通商大港，商貿繁榮外，也招來許多海盜、土匪及疫癘。