Pak Tai gala initiates islands Folk Culture Festival

Pak Tai's Birthday on the third day of the third lunar month was celebrated on Wailingding Island on March 30, kicking off the Wanshan Archipelago Folk Culture Festival.

Thousands of tourists from the Wanshan Archipelago, downtown Zhuhai, and surrounding areas including Hong Kong’s Cheung Chau, Lamma, and Lantau islands participated in the annual pageantry.

Wailingding Island 

Pak Tai is also known as the Supreme Emperor of the North or Emperor Xuan Wu. Legends mention that Pak Tai is a water deity who takes charge of the North. Pak Tai governing various bodies of water has been worshiped for thousands of years by fisher folk on Wailingding Island. The 4.23 sq km island in the middle of the Pearl River Estuary is 27.5 nautical miles west of Zhuhai urban areas.

Pak Tai Birthday blessing ceremony 

Lion dancers gathered at the Wailingding Island pier at 8 am and put on traditional uniforms for the event. The lively and vigorous performance started at 11 am, garnering immense applause.

Pak Tai's Birthday Council members in red carried sacrifices such as roasted pigs, fresh fruits, and red eggs. They paraded the island and took half an hour to reach the Pak Tai Temple on the hill, where blessings rites hosted by Master Ye Tian'en took place. When the rituals were completed, locals and tourists burned incense sticks and prayed for blessings. They also hung sweetly scented sachets on the wall next to Pak Tai.

Lion dance performance 

Then the lion dance team got off the hill and marched on, performing in front of stores to bring them good fortune. At 6 pm, a 100-table grand feast was prepared for all participants, with articles of tribute auctioned to bring the event to an end.

Unlike previous years, the festival added island folk culture hands-on experience items such as making rabbitfish traps and fishing nets. The traditional festivity with enriched folk culture is attracting increasing attention from people across the area.

Roasted pigs [Photos by Wang Rong / Nanfang Plus]

The Wanshan Archipelago Folk Culture Festival will also extend to Wanshan Island Goddess Matsu’s Birthday from April 18 to 20 and Tin Hau's Birthday on May 18.