Ritual commemorates Zhuangzi in Anhui

Participants wearing traditional costumes perform during a ritual to commemorate Zhuangzi at the Memorial Temple of Zhuangzi in Mengcheng county, Haozhou, in Anhui province on Oct 24. [Photo by Hu Weiguo/asianewsphoto.com]

Mengcheng county, the home of Zhuangzi, had reportedly held rituals honoring him in spring or autumn since the Song Dynasty (960-1279). But in the past 100 years, the commemoration was interrupted. To extend admiration for the sage, initiated by the local society, the ceremony has been held annually since 2012.

Zhuangzi (369-286BC) is another representative of the Taoist school of thought after Laozi (Lao Tsu), as well as an important literary figure and philosopher. He developed Taoist theory in his book Zhuangzi (also known as Nanhuajing), and made it a philosophical school with a profound influence on later generations.