广州妈祖文化节盛大开幕

周一，一年一度的广州妈祖文化节在广州天后宫开幕。妈祖文化节庆祝的是妈祖的生日，据传，妈祖是保护渔民和水手的海神 。

The annual Guangzhou Matsu Culture festival opened on Monday at the Tin Hau Temple in Guangzhou. The festival celebrates the birth of Matsu, the goddess of the sea who protects fishermen and sailors.

The annual Guangzhou Matsu Culture Festival opened on Monday at the Tin Hau Temple in Guangzhou.

Celebrations this year mark the 1054th birthday of the deity. They began on April 19th and will last till 23rd. The festival attracted visitors from areas around the southern China region.

In addition to worshipping ceremonies in the morning, the festival will also feature a series of cultural and artistic folk performances. In keeping up with the tradition of distributing 1054 kilos of rice, complimentary rice will be given to the first 200 tourists.

Matsu’s birthday on April 22 will be ushered in with a grand parade and a worship ceremony.