Folk customs-Burning incense and worshiping the gods

( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2012-05-21

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In the ancient times, Tianma Mountain was full of water and people mostly lived on fishing. In order to pray to the gods for a safe trip, whenever people went to the lake for fishing, they would go to Tianma Mountain to offer incense.

After they came back from the fishing, they would go up the mountain and worship Buddha. Later on, the lake gradually disappeared and the fishermen lived on farming. Nevertheless, the local people still had the custom of going to Tianma Mountain and offering incense.

In Tianma Mountain, there was the Shangfeng Temple. It enshrined a statue of the Goddess of Mercy. Numerous people would come on the birthdays of the Goddess of Mercy, which are Feb 19, June 19 and Sept 19 each year according to the lunar calendar.

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