Nansha cultural event entertains visitors during May Day holiday

The 13th Mazu Cultural Tourism Festival takes place at Nansha Tianhou Palace in Guangzhou's Nansha district from May 1 to 5. [Photo by Liu Wei/gznsnews.com.cn]

The 13th Mazu Cultural Tourism Festival was held at Nansha Tianhou Palace in Guangzhou's Nansha district from May 1 to 5, attracting large numbers of tourists.

The year 2020 marked the 25th anniversary of the rebuilding of Nansha Tianhou Palace and the 1,061st anniversary of the birth of Mazu. 

Performances of folk arts such as Cantonese opera and Kylin dance were staged during the festival, further promoting Mazu culture and boosting rural revitalization.

"This is my first time participating in the festival and as one of the Hakka people, I hope my child can learn more about Mazu culture," said a women surnamed Zhang from Guangzhou's Tianhe district, who took her daughter to the event.

Visitors tour around Nansha Tianhou Palace. [Photo by Liu Wei/gznsnews.com.cn]

Free wooden structures were available near Nansha Tianhou Palace. Villagers could use these to sell distinctive agricultural products such as guava and sweet potatoes to tourists, with the aim of promoting rural revitalization.

Other temples and palaces such as Zhongshan (Taiwan) Shengmu Palace also sent representatives to participate in the cruise performance during the festival. 

"This year's event had the theme of rural revitalization and helped facilitate a great deal of connections and interactions with other temples or palaces in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which may help strengthen folk cultural communications between Nansha and other places," said Ying Zhenyu, chairman of Guangzhou Nansha Assets Operation.