Despite having only six households left, the “parading of the god” ceremony in Fujian’s Weixiang village continues each year, alive with color, techno music, and unwavering faith
Every year on the 20th day of the ninth lunar month, at around seven in the morning, beneath the soft glow of autumn light, the elders of Fujian’s Weixiang village don their ceremonial red robes and set out for one of the village’s most revered events: inviting the statue of “Lord Marquis of Martial Virtue,” their “Ancestral Lord,” from a neighboring village for a lively parade through their own streets.
At the village head’s command, they fall in step with the lion dancers and the gong-and-drum players, setting off on their slow-moving procession, known as youshen (游神, the parading of gods), with a handful of villagers bringing up the front and rear. The group is small—after all, Weixiang is the tiniest village in Zhao’an county, home to just around 30 residents.
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But that doesn’t make the ceremony any less impressive. Every household participates wholeheartedly. Despite its small scale, the festivities are complete: a Techno Prince Nezha (电音三太子) performance—a fusion of traditional folk dance and modern pop music—shares the stage with a parade of towering incense sticks over two meters tall, decorated with dragon motifs.
As the procession reaches the village that houses the Ancestral Lord, the crowd begins to swell. Married daughters of Weixiang return with their husbands, while respected local elders and cultural enthusiasts from neighboring villages gather. What starts as a small group soon blossoms into a lively throng of more than 200, making the celebration feel just as vibrant as those in larger villages.
In other villages, carrying the statue of the Ancestral Lord is a coveted honor. But in Weixiang, out of respect and trust for their guests, the villagers leave the task entirely to people from neighboring communities. The procession winds its way through the tiny village—a full circuit takes only about three minutes—giving a brief but lively glimpse of Weixiang’s narrow lanes and familiar homes. After the tour, the Ancestral Lord is invited to stay in the village temple for two days, before moving on to a neighboring village. Once the deity is safely installed, the visiting helpers carefully set the statue in place and gradually disperse, leaving behind a sense of shared community.
Amid China’s rapid urbanization, countless villages and the traditions once woven into daily life have quietly faded. Yet in this tiny village, where only a few households remain, the custom endures. Photographer Wu Cixin, a native of Zhao’an, captures these fleeting moments of devotion and heritage through her lens.
The Shen clan in Zhao’an county considers the Lord Marquis of Martial Virtue to be their ancestor
There are only six households left in Weixiang village
Residents from nearby villages motorcycled in to help with Weixiang’s youshen ceremony
A woman in the procession carries a lantern bearing the name Lord Marquis of Martial Virtue, accompanying the god on his annual tour, while villagers from his host village gather to see him off
At the village head’s command, the youshen procession sets off
In recent decades, the Techno Prince Nezha performance has become a popular highlight of youshen parades
An inflatable archway was set up at the village entrance to welcome the Ancestral Lord’s visit
Village elders usually wear red robes with a red flower pinned to their chests that reads “ancestor welcoming (迎祖)”
The Ancestral Lord will stay in Weixiang’s temple for two days, until a parade from another village comes to invite him over
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