Tai O fishermen observe dragon boat "Deity Parade" tradition
發佈日期: 2025-05-31 19:55
TVB News
In Tai O, fishermen upheld a Dragon Boat "Deity Parade" tradition.
Three fishing associations from Tai O, retrieved diety statues after "plucking the greens" and prayed for the community.
They invited the deities of Tai O -- Yeung Hau, Tin Hau, Kwan Tai and Hung Shing -- from their respective temples.
Carrying the sacred deities on boat, dragon boats led deity-laden sampans through winding waterways, blessing the community with calm seas and health. Tai O residents line the streets to welcome the deities.
The statues were carried to the fishing associations' hall and then sent back to their own temples after the ritual.
The dragon boat teams appear sporadically along the waterways, making them hard to catch. To boost their chances of actually spotting them, some enthusiasts gathered near the dragon boat mooring pontoon for the perfect shot.
Legend has it that a plague was spread through the remote village over a century ago, and local residents held the "Deity Parade" to drive out the evil spirits that caused the plague.
This traditional ritual was inscribed on China's Third National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011.
Miss Szeto, who works as a teacher, took video of the ritual to show her students, hoping to pass the heritage to the next generation.
Miss Bai, a tourist from the mainland, came all the way from Zhuhai to Tai O to check out the village's dragon boat races. She said she was thrilled to feel the passion of the villagers and the athletes here.
However, shop owners shared that their sales decreased by 30 percent to as much as 50 percent, attributing the drop to the poor economic environment and the northbound shopping wave.
They hope the government will enhance the promotion of Tai O and other tourist spots and attract more tourists to the village.
