May 9th marks the 1066th anniversary of Mazu's birth. A group of international friends from Europe and South America who participated in the cultural experience tour of Zen, martial arts, and health preservation in South Shaolin visited the Shunji Temple in Baihu and the Tianhou Ancestral Temple in Xianliang Port, accompanied by Lin Weihua, Executive Deputy Secretary General of the Mazu Culture Research Institute of Putian University and the Mazu Culture Research Association of Fujian Province, as well as Master Yan Cheng and Master Yan Su, acquaintances of South Shaolin Temple, to personally experience the profound cultural heritage of Mazu.
The Baihu Shunji Temple has a long history and profound cultural heritage. It was once known as one of the "Three Great Heavenly Consort Palaces of the Southern Song Dynasty" along with the Mazu Ancestral Temple in Meizhou. It is an iconic temple in the history of Mazu cultural dissemination and development. The temple is filled with continuous incense, and the plaques and couplets carry the admiration of believers throughout history, allowing international friends to feel the profound foundation of folk beliefs.
On that day, the Xianliang Port Tianhou Ancestral Temple held a large-scale event to commemorate the 1066th anniversary of Mazu's birth and the intangible cultural heritage exhibition "Mazu Returns to Her Mother's Home". The scene was crowded with people and the sound of drums and gongs was loud. International friends were deeply shocked by the warm and solemn atmosphere. Many foreign friends accepted on-site interviews and sincerely praised, "Chinese culture is profound and extensive. We are deeply honored to participate in such a grand Mazu birthday commemoration event
As an important part of this cultural experience tour of "Silk Road Transmission of Zen and Martial Arts, Five Continents Experience Zen Style", international friends have previously systematically studied Huang Xiaoxia Boxing and Hongsheng Cai Lifo Boxing, and experienced Zen tea and calligraphy. This visit to Mazu culture further expanded their understanding of traditional Chinese culture - from Zen and martial arts practice to folk beliefs, the charm of Chinese civilization's diversity, inclusiveness, and mutual learning was vividly demonstrated.
This activity not only allowed overseas friends to practice martial arts and keep healthy physically, but also infiltrated the Chinese humanistic feelings in spirit, injecting warmth and vitality into promoting the people to people exchanges of countries along the "the Belt and Road" and promoting exchanges and dialogues among different civilizations.
