The Wong Tai Sin Temple at Jinhua Mountain. [Photo/WeChat account: jhfabu]
The 2025 Jinhua Mountain Wong Tai Sin Cultural Festival is being held in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, from Nov 25 to 28 in honor of the legendary Wong Tai Sin, originally known as Huang Chuping.
Born in Jinhua, Wong Tai Sin is famed in Chinese culture for his transformation from a shepherd to a Taoist deity, with his ancestral temple nestled in Jinhua Mountain. Emphasizing virtues like benevolence, medical philanthropy, and poverty alleviation, Wong Tai Sin's legacy was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008.
This cultural heritage also boasts great influence in Hong Kong and over 30 countries including Singapore, Malaysia, and Russia.
Since the festival was first held in 1995, Jinhua has been committed to the preservation and promotion of Wong Tai Sin culture.
This year's festival features three main events. The opening ceremony on the afternoon of Nov 26 will feature keynote speeches by experts discussing the heritage's evolution and practices. An international experience route will be unveiled alongside the launch of a large-scale experience program.
An intangible cultural heritage fair will be hosted from Nov 27 to 28 in Wuzhou Ancient Town, Jindong district, and Lanxi. It will feature performances such as Wuju Opera and dragon dances, as well as Jinhua specialties.
Moreover, an art exhibition from Nov 25 to 28 offers an immersive journey through ancient and contemporary paintings and calligraphy works centered on Wong Tai Sin legends. There are also nearly 40 masterpieces of traditional crafts like Wuzhou Kiln ceramics, tin engraving, and bamboo weaving, as well as creative products based on Wong Tai Sin culture.
