Full of folk significance: Tainan’s “Shangbaishi Worship Festival” kicks off on the 10th

Reported by You T-Ru / Taipei

The annualShangbaishi Ancestral Worship Festival at Xuejia Ciji Temple


will take place this Thursday (the 11th day of the third lunar month). This unique event carries deep folk meanings such as “remembering one’s roots” and “passing on the incense of tradition,” and is closely tied to local history and development. The Tainan City Tourism Bureau recommends that interested visitors take the opportunity to experience the lively atmosphere during the festival and explore related local tours.

▲ The annual Shangbaishi Ancestral Worship Festival at Xuejia Ciji Temple will take place this Thursday (the 11th day of the third lunar month). (Photo / Provided by Tainan City Tourism Bureau)

The main deity of Xuejia Ciji Temple is Baosheng Dadi, commonly known as Da Dao Gong (Great Emperor), who was brought to Taiwan by immigrants from Tong’an County, Quanzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, during the late Ming Dynasty along with Zheng Chenggong’s forces, landing at the mouth of Jiujiang River near Touqianliao in Xuejia. The Shangbaishi Worship Festival originated during the Qing Dynasty. In the early days, residents of the Xuejia area often returned to their ancestral home in Tong’an’s Baishi Ciji Temple to pay homage. Since the birthday of Baosheng Dadi falls on the 15th day of the third lunar month, worshippers had to cross the sea several days earlier to make it in time, hence the decision to hold the festival annually on the 11th day of the third lunar month. After the Japanese colonial period, due to restricted cross-strait exchanges and travel difficulties, the ritual transitioned into a “sea-separated ancestral worship ceremony” held at the original landing site.