Society

Taoism festival held in Dujiangyan

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-09-25 09:41

The third Chinese Taoism Cultural Festival was held on Sep 16 at Mount Qingcheng in Chengdu, Sichuan province.[He Bo /For China Daily]

The third Chinese Taoism Cultural Festival was held on Sep 16 at Mount Qingcheng in Chengdu, Sichuan province. It is the first time the festival is held following the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan in 2008. Alongside Taoist exhibits will be displays of reconstruction work.

Mount Qingcheng is the birthplace of Taoism, an indigenous traditional religion of China. It was named a World Heritage Site because of its long history and cultural associations.

Organized by the Chinese Taoist Association, Sichuan Provincial Daoist Association and the Chengdu Taoist Association, the festival is scheduled to launch several programs under the themes of nature, life, harmony and development.

Among these programs, probably the most anticipated artistic show is a performance by the world famous dance artist Jin Xing. It incorporates elements of Taoist culture, music, dance, martial arts and calligraphy against the backdrop of Mount Qingcheng. It is also symbolic of the cultural and spiritual post-disaster reconstruction achievements and display the long history of Mount Qingcheng as well as the Sichuan residents’ courage in the face of disaster.

A series of themed activities have been carried out by a Sichuan delegation during a trip to Shanghai and Macao, including an exhibition of calligraphy and photography and the performance of the local cultural heritage based on the historic Dujiangyan Dam.

The Chinese traditional culture forum is also one of the big events during the festival on Mount Qingcheng. The forum collects great masters of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism and is designed to advocate and spread Chinese traditional culture.

With assistance from the Macao Foundation, Laojun Hall, one of the most seriously damaged temples in the Taoist ancient architectural compound, was soon rebuilt. Its inauguration ceremony will be held during the festival this year, attended by local leaders and representatives of Taoists and the Macao Foundation.