Chaozhou Jieyang | Fenglin Village's Centennial Celebration Welcomes the Deity

🏮|||In Chaozhou, it's even busier now than on the first day of the lunar month, as every village is busy welcoming the deity. This year marks the centennial celebration of Fenglin Village in Rongcheng, Jieyang, with a grand and lively atmosphere 🎉🎉 In Chaozhou, there is nothing more important than welcoming the deity. Welcoming the deity is a folk sacrificial cultural activity in the Chaoshan area of Guangdong Province. The people of Chaoshan refer to gods as 'deities', and the local folk culture is one of polytheism, with each village having its own gods. At the beginning of each year, there is a custom of welcoming the deity in the Chaoshan region. This involves taking the deity's statue out of the temple and parading it through the village, holding a worship ceremony at a certain place, and then returning it to the temple. 'Welcoming the deity' is a sacrificial activity where the young and strong men of the village carry a large palanquin with eight bearers, carrying the deity through the main streets and alleys of the village. The parade is massive, consisting of flag bearers (carrying flags), sign bearers (holding signs), palanquin bearers, and musicians. 'Welcoming the deity' is a ritual to pray for favorable weather and peace throughout the village.