The golden statue of the Heavenly Emperor Guan visited Wudao Island for a blessing tour, with martial monks performing arts.

By Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported

The 2012 Wudao Religious and Cultural Tourism Season grandly kicked off yesterday (the 9th). In addition to continuing the 322-year-old tradition of the City God’s parade in Kinmen, this year the event also invited the True Martial Emperor (the ancestral temple of the Heavenly Emperor Guan) from the Wudang Mountain ancestral temple in Hubei, China, and will hold blessing ceremonies and parading events from April 11 to 15. During this period, martial monks and performance troupes will showcase their skills.

Located in Kincheng Township, the Beizhen Temple is the orthodox “Wudang Sub-Temple.” It has been a branch temple with incense offerings for over 400 years. The Beizhen Temple has organized pilgrimage groups to worship at the ancestral temple multiple times. This year, under the name of the Wudao Religious and Cultural Tourism Season, it invited the True Martial Emperor from the Wudang Mountain ancestral temple in Hubei, China, to join the celebration. This is also the first time in a thousand years that the golden statue of the True Martial Emperor has left Wudang Mountain. As part of the series of events, from April 11 to 13, Taoist priests from the Zixiao Palace of Wudang Mountain will preside over blessing ceremonies. From the 13th to the 15th, the True Martial Emperor’s statue will be paraded through various townships and the western and northern parts of Kincheng, conducting blessing ceremonies and martial displays by the monks. The public will have the chance to witness the exquisite martial arts of the Wudang martial monks up close.

The “Wudao City God Parade” has a history of 332 years, and the “City God Parade – Wudao Religious and Cultural Tourism Season” is now in its third year. This year’s event runs from April 9 to May 6. A total of 27 City God temples from across Taiwan, including the Xiahai City God Temple, and over 800 participants will gather in Kinmen. Folk performances and performances by traditional art troupes, such as the palanquin parade, adult transition rituals, traditional art troupe experiences, and street carnivals, will be held on weekends. The public can experience Kinmen’s traditional folk festivities during this time.

● Read more: The Luermen Holy Mother Temple Parade – 11 Districts’ Martial and Civil Performance Troupes Showcase Their Skills
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