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 Parade in Kinmen, this year the event also invited the True Martial Emperor (the ancestral statue of the Heavenly Emperor) from the ancestral temple on Mount Wudang in Hubei, China. From April 11 to 15, prayer ceremonies and blessing parades will be held, featuring performances by martial monks and traditional performance troupes.
The Wudao City God Parade is a traditional folk event in Kinmen. This year, in addition to continuing the unique Centipede Formation, martial monks from Mount Wudang will also participate in the performances. (Photo provided by Kinmen County Government)
The Beizhen Temple in Kincheng, known as the “Wudang Branch Shrine,” has been enshrining incense separately for over 400 years. The temple has organized multiple pilgrimage groups to pay homage to the ancestral temple. This year, under the name of the Wudao Religious and Cultural Tourism Season, it invited the True Martial Emperor from the ancestral temple on Mount Wudang 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 Mount Wudang. During the series of events, prayer ceremonies will be conducted by Taoist priests from the Zixiao Palace of Mount Wudang from April 11 to 13. From April 13 to 15, the True Martial Emperor’s statue will be paraded through various towns and the western and northern districts of Kincheng, where blessing and prayer ceremonies along with martial monk performances will take place. The public will have the chance to witness the exquisite martial arts skills of the Wudang martial monks up close.
The “Wudao City God Parade” event has a history of 332 years, and the “City God Parade – Wudao Religious and Cultural Tourism Season” has entered 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 Xia Hai City God Temple, and over 800 participants will gather in Kinmen. Folk performances, traditional art troupe experiences, and street carnivals will be held on weekends, offering the public a chance to experience Kinmen’s traditional festive culture.
● Read more: The Luermen Madonna Temple Parade – 11 Districts Showcase Martial and Civil Performance Troupes
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