| 11 Feb 2023 |
07:00pm - 01:00am |
 |
The Johor Bahru Ancient Temple Touring God Activity originated from the worship of the five major clans of the Chinese in Johor Bahru (i.e. the Yuan Tian Shang Di of Chao Zhou people, the Hong Xian Da Di of FuJian people, the Gan Tian Da Di of Hakka people, the Hua Guang DaDi of Guang Zhou people, and the Zhao Da Yuan of Hainan people, with Yuan Tian Shang Di as the main god), and has a 142-year history tradition. Except for the interruption in 1942 due to the fall of Malaya and the tragic killing of overseas Chinese, it has never been interrupted.
In the early days, the touring god team would visit the incense offerings set up along the way and purify the land for the people, with the participation of diviners. In recent years, the folk color of the ancient temple tour has faded, but it has added performances such as flower cars, creative dragons, Chinese music, earth-style dance, and even thunder dance, and the content of the program is becoming more and more rich. The atmosphere during the night tour is very lively, with the audience constantly shouting "Xing Ah! Fa Ah!", and the gods stretcher swaying the sedan chair, praying for a better year next year. The saying that it will not rain during the night tour of the gods has also added a magical color to the event.
In 2012, the Johor Bahru Old Temple Procession was designated as a national intangible cultural heritage of Malaysia. Four years later, the Sultan of Johor attended the procession for the first time. The event attracts approximately 300,000 people from both domestically and internationally every year, and many young people from the local area participate as well. Through over a century of evolution and adaptation, the Johor Bahru Old Temple Procession has been revitalized, keeping the tradition alive and shining with new vibrancy.
