A Mushroom God worship ceremony is held in Longquan. [Photo/WeChat account: ls-mnews]

The 14th Mushroom Culture Festival, a cross-Strait cultural exchange event between Longquan and Taiwan, kicked off on Aug 10 in Xiatian village, Longquan, a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province.

A Mushroom God worship ceremony was held during the festival. The statue of the mushroom god, a symbol of mushroom culture in Longquan, was carried to Xiatian village by a procession of local and Taiwan people. They held a solemn ceremony to worship the Mushroom God and pray for peace and prosperity on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Cultural exchange between Longquan and Taiwan date back to July 22, 2011, when a delegation of Taiwan mushroom experts and enthusiasts visited Xiatian village and witnessed the rich and diverse mushroom culture there. Since then, the two sides have established a close bond of friendship and cooperation.

At the opening ceremony, representatives of Longquan and Taiwan exchanged gifts and unveiled a stone tablet to commemorate their cultural ties. They also expressed their hope to deepen mutual understanding and promote common development.