Xing nuo is a local exorcism ritual that has been practiced in Putian for centuries. The ceremony is recorded in the Xin Tang Shu, or the New History of the Tang Dynasty, meaning that it could even go back as far as the 7th century AD. Xing nuo is still held in Putian around the time of the Lantern Festival, which this year fell on Feb 11, to this day.

Each village in Putian has its own unique customs for the event, but the common theme is that in every ritual, the local people carry a statue of the sea goddess Mazu on a parade around their village and past a burning pile of hay.

Local people in Longshan village prepare the statue of the sea goddess Mazu for the annual xing nuo ceremony on Feb 10. [Photo by Zhang Guojun/Xinhua]

Mazu is revered as the protector of seafarers, and worship of the goddess is common in China's southeastern region, including Fujian and Taiwan, and from there spread to Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asian nations such as Vietnam and Thailand.

Local people from Longshan village in Putian, Fujian province, carry a statue of the sea goddess Mazu out of an ancestral home at the start of the village's annual xing nuo ceremony, a traditional exorcism ritual, on Feb 10. [Photo by Zhang Guojun/Xinhua]

Putian villagers carry a Mazu statue during the xing nuo ceremony to pray for peace and a happy, beautiful life.

Longshan village in Licheng district hosted the ceremony on Feb 10, one day ahead of this year's Lantern Festival.

Local people from Longshan village in Putian, Fujian province, carry a statue of the sea goddess Mazu past a burning haystack, an annual ritual known as xing nuo, on Feb 10. [Photo/Xinhua]

Local people in Longshan village carry a statue of the sea goddess Mazu through the village during the annual xing nuo ceremony on Feb 10. [Photo by Zhang Guojun/Xinhua]