Taiwan Cultural Exchange Delegation Attends the Birthday Celebration of Mazu in Fengshan (Picture Provided by Taiwan Affairs Office of Shanwei City)
May 6 (www.taiwan.com.cn) - This year's "May Day Golden Week" coincides with the 1064 year of Mazu's birth. A delegation of 34 people led by Taiwan Mazu Cultural Exchange Group came to Shanwei to participate in the safety tour for Mazu's birthday in Fengshan, Shanwei and the exhibition of intangible cultural heritage in Shanwei, and carried out in-depth cross-strait folk cultural exchanges.
On the morning of April 30, the exchange group arrived at the Ancestral Temple of Fengshan and communicated with the Ancestral Temple Council in advance to implement the itinerary of the security patrol activities and attend the relevant celebration ceremony. The organizer specially arranged the Shanwei Fishing Song, a national intangible cultural heritage project, to welcome the exchange group with singing and dancing. The members of the exchange group and the actors of the Shanwei Fishing Song Team joined together to challenge salty tea, sing fishing songs and talk about family customs. The same Minnan discourse, the same water song tune, the same Dan family customs, and the common Mazu belief custom have given us endless topics.
On the evening of April 30, the delegation attended the "Spring Festival Festival" ceremony of Mazu's birthday in Tianhou Pavilion of Fengshan Ancestral Temple, paid a visit to Mazu, and prayed for peace and happiness across the Taiwan Straits. As an important part of Mazu's belief in customs, Mazu's memorial ceremony has been passed down for thousands of years and is now prosperous, especially in the three provinces of Fujian, Guangdong and Taiwan. Before and after Mazu's birthday on March 23rd every year, every town and village will hold worship activities of different sizes, performing operas and singing, grabbing firecrackers, and setting off fireworks. Mazu Memorial Ceremony was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006. The Shanwei Mazu Temple Fair is also a provincial intangible cultural heritage project in Guangdong, with unique cultural connotation. It is an important ceremony that reflects the common roots, common feelings and spiritual affinity of Chinese at home and abroad.
On the morning of May 2, Taiwan Mazu Cultural Exchange Group joined the parade team of Mazu's non heritage performance tour. Dressed in the uniform for patrol activities and holding the square sign of "Cross Strait Mazu Cultural Exchange Group", the exchange group interacted with citizens and friends in Shanwei to take photos, sing and dance along the way, which was warmly welcomed by the people in Shanwei. Mr. Wei and his wife danced in the street and became the most beautiful boy and sister in the parade. Shanwei's online celebrity "Shanwei Big Aunt" has instead become a fan of Mr. Wei, chasing Mr. Wei for interviews and "dream linkage". Through his video number, Mr. Wei cordially invited Shanwei compatriots to Taiwan to "kick peaches". Mr. Wei said that the two sides of the Taiwan Straits share the same culture, the same customs, the same food tastes, the same cultural tastes, and "visiting relatives" where they greet each other and exchange enthusiasm, which will enable the two sides to get closer and closer.
Along the way, the masses waved enthusiastically and shouted "Welcome to Shanwei" and "A family on both sides of the Taiwan Straits". Ms. Lai also specially brought safety charms from Taiwan and distributed them to the residents along the way. During this period, the Taiwan Mazu Cultural Exchange Group and its delegation continued to interact with the masses along the way for group photos. The scenes are a true portrayal of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits getting closer and closer.
The director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Shanwei Municipal Party Committee said that Mazu belief is an important cultural bond for compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. Shanwei will continue to actively carry out a series of cross-strait pro family activities, expand the depth and breadth of exchanges and cooperation, and promote more frequent people to people and cultural exchanges and closer economic and trade cooperation between Shantou and Taiwan. (Correspondent of the Taiwan Affairs Office of Shanwei, Taiwan. com/Wen Xiaoxin)
