Multiple cultural activities kicked off Saturday leading up to the grand birthday celebration of the Taoist deity Lord Guan on August 4
Taiwan News
Date: 2018/07/15
By: Teng Pei-ju, Taiwan News, Staff Reporter
The Daxi Daxi Festival kicks off on July 15 (By Taiwan News)
TAOYUAN (Taiwan News) — The Daxi Daxi Festival, a series of cultural activities celebrating traditional folk beliefs with contemporary design and art kicked off Saturday at Taoyuan City’s Daxi Old Street. The festival will last three weeks leading up to the grand temple parade, which honors the birthday of the Taoist deity Lord Guan (Guan Gong) between August 4 and 5.
Taoyuan City Mayor Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) said the birthday celebration of the Lord Guan of the Pu Ji Temple has had a significant meaning for local people over the past century, and it is as important as the celebration of the Lunar New Year.
Crowds gather in front of the Pu Ji Temple shortly before the opening ceremony (Taiwan News)
The celebration of the Lord Guan has always come with a temple parade with ‘Din Tao’ clubs, formed by local people to give various performances. Some of the clubs have people disguised as Taoist deities, either with dramatic makeups or in character costumes, while others are music groups performing with eastern music instruments.
There are also people carrying the statue of the most important deity in a temple, such as the Lord Guan of the Pu Ji Temple, in the procession, while others shoot off fireworks constantly throughout the parade.
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