None of them had expected their Mazu Procession and blessing ceremony to be so popular. They had only just set off and reached the first village, yet the crowd's cheers had already brought the event to its climax.
Ye Yaodong had never imagined that an entire village would kneel to welcome Mazu. Nothing like this had happened in his previous life, either.
This counted as the grandest Mazu Procession and blessing ceremony since reform and opening up-no, probably the grandest in history.
He had never seen what the procession and blessing ceremony on Meizhou Island was like, but today's was the most awe-inspiring he could remember. In later years, crowds mostly came to watch the fun. Few were this devout, let alone knelt on the ground to welcome her.
Perhaps the older generation had been through more and believed more strongly in these things. Many people liked to entrust their spiritual hopes to gods and Buddhas, which was why one call brought a hundred responses: one person knelt, and everyone knelt.
In the future, that hundredfold response might be even louder, but getting everyone to kneel would be impossible.
What a scene, yet he had not brought his camera. It was such a pity. Last night, he had only told his wife to take a couple of pictures of the procession. He wondered whether she had followed them out or only taken two pictures outside Mazu's temple.
Thinking of the little one still at home, she really might not have followed them.
What a shame. He was carrying the palanquin, and the procession was moving. Otherwise, he could have run home for it and ridden his bicycle back. There should still have been time.
The whole village was swept up in excitement, their expressions fervent. As the procession moved, everyone