“Welcoming the City God Chenghuang,” is a major event for residents on the outlying islands of Kinmen. Even those who no longer reside in Kinmen return to join the annual pilgrimage procession on April 12 on the lunar calendar to worship the Wu Dao Chenghuang (浯島城隍爺) and to thank him for blessing the islands over the past three centuries.
Culture Minister Lung Ying-tai traveled to Kinmen in May to present the designation certificate that recognizes the pilgrimage as the 12th national major folk heritage of Taiwan. This is the first such designation to be awarded to Taiwan’s outlying islands.
Culture Minister Lung Ying-tai:
We welcome the City God every year. It is on this day that the whole community and residents form the strongest bond. This kind of cultural power is more influential than the Ministry of Culture. The Chenghuang religion shows people how we should position ourselves in the world and interact with the environment. Its ethics and philosophical rules make up a force that helps us find common values. So the Chenghuang pilgrimage is not simply a religious belief, it is worthy of being designated as a major national folk heritage.
Traditions combined with innovation
It has been exactly 343 years since the Wu Dao Chenghuang pilgrimage procession first took place. The City God’s procession officially kicks off as the sounds of traditional Nanguan music, drums, and firecrackers go off.
This year, following the deity’s statue are 101 performing folk groups. Many of them are formed by local residents who have volunteered to learn and have added a modern touch to the traditional procession.
Culture Minister Lung Ying-tai:
She (Kinmen) is a treasure island full of cultural heritage. She is a special place where cultures mix and innovation blossoms. I say it’s like having zippers on both sides that can open and close. She is also a bridge. We should do all we can to preserve and promote Kinmen’s culture.
Unique cultural attractions
Kinmen is a beautiful pocket of culture. During the past 1,700 years, different cultures left their traces here when turbulences arose in mainland China. So the island has preserved a very rich Southern Min culture and the overseas Chinese culture brought back by Kinmen residents returning from Southeast China.
The Ministry of Culture places a high value on the cultural heritage that drives folk activities, and hopes to connect such heritage to regional tourism, thereby transforming the local folk event into a major international cultural celebration and introducing Kinmen’s unique role in history and culture to the world.