The Wudao Welcoming of the City God: Palanquin Procession and Street Parade – Join the Festivities

By Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported

The largest temple fair event in Kinmen, the “2012 Kinmen Welcoming of the City God – Wudao Religious & Cultural Tourism Season,” will feature a series of activities from April 9 to May 6. During the event, 27 City God temples from around Taiwan will participate together, and the event will also invite the Zhenwu Temple from Mount Wudang in mainland China to take part and engage in Wudang martial arts exchanges.

The “Wudao Welcoming of the City God” event has a history of 332 years, and the “Welcoming of the City God – Wudao Religious & Cultural Tourism Season” is now in its third year. This year, a total of 27 City God temples from across Taiwan, including the Xia Hai City God Temple, along with over 800 participants, will gather in Kinmen. The event will also invite the Zhenwu Temple from Mount Wudang in mainland China (the ancestral temple of the Dark Heavenly Emperor) to take part. On April 14 and 15, prayer ceremonies and Wudang sword performances will be held, marking the first time in a thousand years that the sacred image of the Dark Heavenly Emperor has left Mount Wudang in China.

During the event period this year, folk skills and performance expos will be held on weekends, featuring activities such as the palanquin procession “Turning into an Adult,” traditional art troupe experiences, street carnival parades, and a grand joint performance of Minnan-style folk art troupes. There will also be a screening of the movie “The Troupe.”

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