Taizhou hosts 2026 Jigong Cultural Festival

The 2026 Jigong Cultural Festival opens in Taizhou. [Photo/Tide News]

The 2026 Jigong Cultural Festival opened at Tiantai Mountain in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province, on May 14, bringing together more than 880 Jigong devotees and cultural participants for a cross-regional cultural gathering.

Jigong, born in Yongning village in Tiantai county, Taizhou, was a well-known Buddhist monk of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279). He became a monk at Guoqing Temple in Taizhou, later stayed at Lingyin Temple, and then moved to Jingci Temple in Hangzhou. He is traditionally regarded as a learned monk who practiced charity and helped people.

The festival has been held for 13 consecutive years since 2014 and has become an important platform for cultural exchange centered on Jigong traditions. This year's program includes an opening ceremony, a memorial ritual commemorating the 817th anniversary of Jigong's enlightenment, visits to Jigong's former residence, Chicheng Mountain, and other cultural sites, as well as rural cultural tourism activities and heritage tours in his hometown.

In recent years, Taizhou has promoted cross-Strait cultural exchanges, using Jigong culture as a key medium. The region has hosted multiple exchange activities that have attracted Taiwan residents seeking cultural roots. Local heritage infrastructure has been improved, and Jigong legends have been listed as a national intangible cultural heritage item, further strengthening the cultural brand of Tiantai Mountain.

Taizhou is also regarded as an important birthplace of Hehe culture, which emphasizes harmony, cooperation, and coexistence. These values closely align with the spiritual essence of Jigong culture.