Announce Department：General Affairs Department
Apr. 27, 2011
Report on the County Government, by Reporter Li Zeng-Wang
For people in Kinmen, the 14th day of May (the 12th day of the lunar 4th month) is a very important day. When the moment comes every year, an annual great event— also the biggest and the most boisterous folk festival in Kinmen—will be held locally. The residents in Jincheng Township always greet the City God Relocation Festival joyfully. Many people who reside away from home also come back to their hometown. Folks from everywhere also come here to participate in this festival.
In order to make people directly experience the essence and features of the Greeting City God event in Kinmen on the 12th day of the lunar 4th month even more, Kinmen County Government would hold a press conference “Greeting City God for Collecting Numerous Blessings and Receiving Auspiciousness” at the front square of Head Office at 10:00 a.m. today (Apr. 27). On the scene, small array activities for people to experience were scheduled. Also, upon the opening made by a traditional array “Immediate Blow (馬上吹)”, Kinmen County Magistrate Li Wo-Shi was guided to appear on the stage, to show the traditional features inherited from the Qing Dynasty, which have been kept to the present day, such as rituals, arrays and Joss Stick Road. It aimed to convey the unique styles of local special festivals effectively through the press conference, to enhance Kinmen’s tourism market, so that domestic/overseas people could feel the beauty of the cultural heritage and good customs in the religious activity of Greeting City God in Kinmen County. In this press conference today, the array activities for people to experience were scheduled especially at the front square of “Qing Kinmen Township’s Head Office (清金門鎮總兵署)” in Jincheng Township. The host would lead the participative officials and the distinguished guests on the scene to participate personally in carrying on the palankeen and ascending the Centipede Stand, for experiencing the folk fun of the small activity for greeting City God on the scene in advance.
Kinmen County Magistrate Li Wo-Shi would also formally announce the series feature activities for Greeting City God in Kinmen this year, including Palankeen Carrying Competition, Array Experience, Centipede Stand Detour, parades and Make-up People March, performances of array assembly, invited folk performances from the cross-strait, Make-up People Make-up Competition, Swinging God’s Palankeen for the 100th year of R.O.C., photography competition, City God Antique Exhibition, the establishment of Explanation System for Woodao City God, etc. People could see the reversed stereotypical image of Kinmen tourism. In addition, the contents of these shows combined education with recreation, which were most suitable for families to have fun outdoors.
Kinmen County Government also cooperated with channel proprietors such as Traveling Exhibition, Travel Agent Association, and Lion Travel. Based on the theme “Nonstop in the Whole Year” for people to experience profound travel with local charm, the two-nights-three-days Kinmen-themed package tours in four seasons had been launched. For example, the 412 Three-Days Trip for Greeting City God in Kinmen had the contents of the schedule including the trips to Shuangli Welands Nature Center, Da-Wu Mountain, Small Kinmen, and so on. Also, through the participation in the annual cultural promotion activity of the Greeting City God event, people could all experience the historical meaning and fun hidden within.
In 2011, the wonderful series activities of Greeting City God in Kinmen would be held from Apr. 30 to May 30. We invited you to experience the new touching feeling of Kinmen’s wonderful tourism.