Xiaoliuqiu King Welcome⁣ Festival: A 7-Day Celebration of⁢ Culture and Tradition

Reported by Yan⁤ Yixuan

The “Xiaoliuqiu King Welcome Festival”, a grand event held⁣ once every⁤ three years, officially begins today and will last for ⁢seven days. The festival includes​ a series of activities such as patrolling the port, inviting​ the king,⁢ circumambulating the region, sailing, and bidding farewell to ⁤the king. Thousands of people are expected to land on the island to‍ take part in ‍this grand event.

Pingtung County Magistrate Zhu Chunmei pointed out that the three cities of Donggang, Ryukyu, and Nanzhou hold the “Jiao​ Liuqiu King Welcome Festival” ⁣every three years​ as the heirs of the ancient ceremony. From generation ⁤to generation, welcoming⁣ the⁣ king has become the core belief of Xiaoliuqiu and is the most important cultural intangible wealth on the ‌island.

The 7-Day Festival Schedule

September 3 (Tuesday): Hong Kong Footmen at Baisha Pier honorably invite Wang Jia

September 4 (Wednesday): Depart at 7:00 for a tour around Tai⁢ Liao​ Kok (Tai Phuc Village)

September 5 (Thursday): Depart at 7:00 and approach Tiantai Kok⁤ (Nan Phuc Village, Tin Phuc⁤ Village)

September 6 (Friday): Leave at 7:00 and go to the⁢ corner of Shanban Road ​(Shangfu Village, Shanfu Village)

September 7 (Saturday): ⁣Depart⁤ at 7:00 and‍ visit Baishaweijiao (Benfu Village, Zhongfu Village, Yufu Village)

September ​8 (Sunday): The King Ship departs at 7:30 and sails safely around ‌Ryukyu Township

September 9 (Monday): Send the king away and burn the king’s ship

Zhou Chunmi noted that the ⁣”port patrol” ‌is a unique ceremony to welcome the king to Xiaoliuqiu, the morning before the invitation, there were about fifty large and small fishing boats carrying palanquins such as Sanlong Palace, Sanfu Chitose, and Biyun Temple. Starting from Guanyin Buddha, Baisha Port ⁣or Dafu Fishing ‌Port and traveling around the​ island⁤ for a⁣ week, the scenery is very spectacular.

Zhou Chunmi says ‍that in addition to patrolling the sea and⁤ chasing away evil spirits around the ocean, it also protects ‌Ryukyu Island’s fishing boats from going out to⁤ sea ⁣safely ‌and returning home with a full load of fish and‍ shrimp!

To ⁤maintain order for​ the ⁤seven-day event, ‍Donggong Police Department Chief Gao Zhizheng reminded that most of the local residents of the Ryukyu Sanlong Palace Welcome Festival returned​ to their​ hometowns to participate in the Donggong Dongliu Wharf, Xinyuan Yanliu Fishing Port (Xinyuan Marine‌ Shipping Park) and Ryukyu. It is expected to attract a large number of believers and tourists to the venue’s Zhongao beach, including the​ Ryukyu four-cornered mikoshi and mikoshi and mikoshi, to strengthen Baisha Pier’s ⁣traffic diversion.