Kitchen God devotees visit Beijing temple
Print Edition
Shivering believers crowded the ticket office of the prestigious White Cloud Taoist Temple in Beijing yesterday to celebrate the Kitchen God’s day.
“I have come here every year for decades to burn incense to the Kitchen God and meet fellow devotees,” said Wu, a woman in her 70s.
Taking three sticks of incense from her bag, Wu lit them, bowed to the gods with the burning incense in her hands, then put them in a censer in front of the altar.
The Kitchen God Zao Shen is one of the most important deities in Taoism and protects the hearth and family.
On the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month the Kitchen God is said to return to heaven to report the activities of every household over the past year to the Jade Emperor. The emperor either rewards or punishes a family based on Zao Shen’s report.
Senior priest Meng Zhiling, deputy secretary of the Chinese Taoist Association, said the temple is usually busy during the Spring Festival holiday.
“We are anticipating more than 40,000 people during the upcoming Spring Festival to offer incense in the temple and worship the gods, including the Jade Emperor; Cai Shen, God of Wealth; and Men Shen, the Door God,” Meng said.
Priests will be on duty to greet visitors and maintain order. Scores of security guards have been employed to assist with crowd control.
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