Ryukyu King Welcoming Festival’s Water-Entry Ceremony: 5,000 kg of Candy Rain from the Sky

The Sanlong Temple in Ryukyu Township enshrines the Three Lords of Chi, Wu, and Zhu. The triennial King Welcoming Peace Festival is a major event for the entire township. Fifty local shipbuilders began constructing the King’s boat in May, using premium solid wood, and spent two months building it to completion. The boat is 16 feet 1 inch long and 4 feet 6 inches wide. Today (the 20th), the temple held the King’s Boat Water-Entry Ceremony and prepared a "candy rain" of 5,000 kg falling from the sky to announce the upcoming King Welcoming Peace Festival.

The Renchen (Year of the Water Dragon) King Welcoming Peace Festival of the Sanlong Temple in Ryukyu Township will be held from November 2 to November 8. Cai Wencai, the general affairs officer of the Sanlong Temple, pointed out that the King’s Boat Water-Entry Ceremony is a unique ritual of the Ryukyu King Welcoming Festival. Although the King’s boat is built entirely in the style of an ancient vessel, during the festival it is regarded as a sacred instrument and is ultimately burned to send the Lords on their journey across the Heavenly River. Therefore, the water-entry ceremony is like the inauguration of the King’s boat.

Early this morning, the square in front of the Sanlong Temple was flooded with devout worshippers. With summer vacation in full swing, many locals who live elsewhere returned especially for the event. The ceremony was presided over by this year’s Chief Organizer Chen Zhouwen and Ryukyu Township Mayor Cai Tianyu, among others. Rituals included presenting decorative orbs, dotting the eyes of the King’s boat, and seating the King’s Boat Lord, First Mate, and sailors — all adorned in gold — onto the boat. After the “Dragon Root Severing” ritual — which removes the supports used during the boat’s construction — symbolic water was sprinkled on the boat and its sails were raised to complete the water-entry ceremony.

To allow worshippers to share in the joy and celebrate the harvest, the temple specially prepared 5,000 kg of candy and set up four viewing platforms in the square to shower down a candy rain. The crowd below, with people of all ages and carrying boxes of all sizes, umbrellas, and more, scrambled eagerly for the sweets, creating a lively scene. In the evening, the temple also hosted a peace banquet with 350 tables. Currently, nearly all homestays in Ryukyu Township have been fully booked. If visitors wish to experience the folk culture and excitement of the King Welcoming Peace Festival, it is recommended to plan ahead.

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