The International Grand Pilgrimage Ceremony opens Solemnly in Guanlin of Luoyang City, Henan Province

In September 29, 2008, thousands of guests from home and abroad gathered in Guanlin of Luoyang, Henan Province. With the melodious ceremonial music, compatriots from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao , overseas Chinese, domestic entrepreneurs and representatives of Guan clan offered sacrifices to Saintly Emperor Guan and worshiped with the pious feelings .The ceremony of consecrating the major image for sacrifice was held by Mr Liao Dehong ,the permanent master from the Taiwan Saint League . 

Mr Hu Guangkun, the president of Luoyang Overseas Friendship Connection Association declared the ceremony open and Mr Wang Lilin, vice mayor of Luoyang city delivered the speech. Also the congratulations “Sheng De Tong Zun” (which means jointly respecting saintly virtues) from Mr Wu Po-hsiung, the chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang and the congratulations “di de wei e”(which means the towering saintly virtues) from Mr Lien Chan , the honorary chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang were read out in public at the opening ceremony. 

Mr Zhang Guoliang, Chairman of the Co-operation and Development Foundation Across the Taiwan Strait expresses his idea that where there is residential hometown for overseas Chinese in the world, there is the evidence of spreading and inheriting Guangong Belief. Guangong’s spirit of  ‘loyalty, righteousness, benevolence, bravery” which is the model power of cohering the overseas Chinese in the world.He said that this makes every descendant of Yan Di and Huang Di—the Chinese people proud.

At the sacrifice ceremony in the style of the ancients at the grand pilgrimage ceremony, hundreds of ladies dressed like the ancient maids in the imperial palace performed a ritual dance Guanlin Shenyun(which means romantic charm of Guanlin) and the martial arts Xionghun Haodang (which means Mighty Heroic Soul) performed by Dengfeng Tagou Martial Arts School. The Director Guo Caiting of Luoyang Management Office led the believers to perform a number of sacrifice rituals such as offering Sacrifices called Tailao, conducting the rites and worship rites and the presentation of elegiac address.

1 The Pomp of the International Pilgrimage Ceremony in Guanlin in Luoyang(Photographed by Zhu Zhengming)

2 The Worship Pomp of the International Pilgrimage Ceremony in Guanlin in Luoyang (Photographed by Zhu Zhengming)

3 The Sacrificing Pomp of the International Pilgrimage Ceremony in Guanlin in Luoyang (Photographed by Zhu Zhengming)

4 The Luoyang “maids in imperial palace” who are performing the Sacrificingdance Luolin Shenyun at the International Pilgrimage Ceremony in Guanlin in Luoyang (Photographed by Zhu Zhengming)