Dongshan,Fujian： The worship of Guangong with vegetarian diet
According to the editor of World Guangong Culture Website:
Last September,during the international worshiping ceremony,it happened that the leaders of five great Guangong Temple of Yucheng,Shanxi,Guanlin,Luoyang,Dangyang,Hubei,Jingzhou,Hubei,Dongshan,Fujian got together.during the meeting,when it comes to the worshiping ceremony of Guandi, president of Deyuan Group,Mrs Cui made the proposal that all temples will worship Guangong with flowers and fruits. This way of offering kills not an animal,environmental friendly and clean and also keep up with the times.
We are happy to find that Jingzhou,Hubei and Dongshan,Fujian has adopted the proposal of Mrs Cui.Dangyang,Hubei had promised that flowers and fruits will be used in the worship ceremony of Guangong.
The following article is written by the painter and vice-secretary of world Guangong Promotion culture association,Liu Yi on his feeling on the Guangong worship festival.
Tongling Guandi Temple in Dongshan,Fujian is one of the top five most biggest temples in China and it is the biggest temple at the mainland.Built in Ming danasty (1357),overlooking Taiwan and Penghu Lake and with moutain as its neighbor, this temple has a history of more than 620 years. Because of its special geographic position and historical factors,this temple has become the homeplace of worship of Guangong that was passed to Taiwan.according to the data,among more than 900 Guandi Temples in Taiwan, more than 500 temples get soul-separated from Guandi Temple in Dongshan,Fujian. Hence Guandi Temple in Dongshan,Fujian enjoys the supreme status in the heart of the people who worship Guandi.It is the first stop and hot spot that Taiwanese come to mainland to conduct the worshiping.It is also the bond that tighten the profound friendship between the people of two straits and promote the harmonious relationship of two straits. Tongling Guandi Temple has a irreplaceable significance in the process of the unification of the Chinese nation.
Dongshan Guandi Temple Photographed by: Liu Yi.
The flowers and fruits that offered to Guangong in Dongshan Guandi Temple Photographed by: Liu Yi.
The fish is made from the wheat flour,it is beautiful and environmental-friendly. Photographed by: Liu Yi.
The author of this article has the opportunity to take part in this ceremony and appreciate the beautiful fireworks. In this solemn ceremony and appreciation of the statue of Guangong and hold a pious heart that worship Guangong. At this moment,we all forget the worries and unhappiness in this secular world and this secular soul is purified. We can also feel the bliss of the god ,enjoy the holy light and put the body and soul into this auspicious atomosphere. It made peole feel deeply moved and unforgettable.
In order to better promote the Guandi culture, with the help of the native peole ,the Dongshan Guandi Temple held the Guandi culture tourism festival successfully. The festival is well welcomed every year and extremly splendid. The third straits forum and the 20th Guandi culture tourism festival are taken place this year. Author had the opportunity to take part in this festival
What amazed the author is the offerings on the desk of the temple,they are the highlight of this acivity and the topic that praised by all the people.The offerings on the desk are flowers and fruits,not cows,pigs and lambs.even if there are fish and chicken,they are all made from wheat flour. They are so vivid in shape and many people will mistakenly take them for real.
Many people highly praise it after the visit. An old man from Taiwan said that this act is fantastic and it should have been earlier,Guangong is a vegetarian and our temple will never kill an animal from then on.
The superintendent,Mr Liu who in Guanling,Hubei,made the comment that Guanling will follow this act his year and Dean Mr Liu of the Guangong Temple of the Dongshan mountain open a new start and is a good example for us.