The 2023 Chinese Culture Festival of Ji Gong is launched on Oct 30 at Tiantai Mountain in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]

The 2023 Chinese Culture Festival of Ji Gong was launched on Oct 30 at Tiantai Mountain in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province. The festival attracted nearly 400 worshippers of the prominent Zen monk who lived during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).

Notably, more than 300 of the participants at the opening ceremony were Taiwan residents who are currently studying or running businesses in mainland China. This highlights the strong cross-Straits people-to-people exchange based on the shared Ji Gong culture that has been fostered for the past decade in Tiantai.

One of the key events of the festival is a sacrificial ceremony celebrating the 814th anniversary of Ji Gong's enlightenment. This ceremony will be held simultaneously with other sub-venues in Taiwan, Macao, Hong Kong, and Malaysia, further uniting Ji Gong enthusiasts across different regions.

In addition to the sacred ceremonies, the festival will feature a range of activities, including visits to Ji Gong's former residence and performances showcasing the local intangible cultural heritage.

Ji Gong, also known as "Mad Ji", gained fame for his unconventional behavior as a monk. Despite often breaking the rules, he was admired for his generosity towards the less fortunate and his kindness that continues to inspire people in Tiantai.