Although Matsu culture is very popular in China's southern provinces and
southeastern Asia, not everyone knows China's earliest Matsu temple is located
in Changdao county, said Zhang Yong, president of Tourism Bureau in Changdao,
the only island county in Eastern China's Shangdong province, at a press
conference last Thursday.
Changdao, also calledTemple Islands, is called "Immortal Mountain
Offshore" because of the beautiful scenery, pleasant climate, fresh air, elegant
environment, multiple exotic reefs and stones, natural wonders such as the
mirage, haizi, and advection fog. The county is the cradle of
the story of the "Eight Immortals Legend".
Changdao also has unique Matsu culture, and is home to a Matsu temple called
Xianying
Palace,
which was initially founded in the fourth year of Xuanhe of Northern Song
Dynasty (1122 A .D.).
According to Zhang, there are activities and festivals celebrating
Matsu in Changdao, and the most famous one is called the
"Xianying Palace Temple Fair". It is the folk activity that comes from the
sacrificial activities in spring and autumn, in existence since the palace was
initially constructed.
The temple fair on July 15 of the lunar year and other temple fair activities
of
Xianying
Palace
lasted till the
1950s at the beginning of the establishment of the country. For example, January
15 in the lunar year marked the
"Lantern Show of the Lantern Festival," March
23 in the lunar year temple fair celebrated the
birth of goddess (
Spring
Temple
), and September
9 in the lunar year temple fair was
for sacrifice (Autumn Taste).
Activities at the temple were revived after a 35 year absence in 1985, after
the temple underwent repairs. In 1992, the "Lantern Show of the Lantern
Festival" was held at the temple.