The 2023 Cross-Strait (Taicang) Mazu Culture Exchange is held in Taicang, a county-level city in East China's Jiangsu province, on Oct 13. [Photo/WeChat account: tcfbgw]

The 2023 Cross-Strait (Taicang) Mazu Culture Exchange was held in Taicang, a county-level city in East China's Jiangsu province, on Oct 13, as part of the 2023 Yangtze River Cultural Festival.

The event, which is aimed at enhancing trade ties between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, as well as advancing the conservation and development of Mazu culture, also marks the 900th anniversary of the establishment of the Tianfei Palace in the city's Liuhe town.

The palace, which was first built in 1123 and relocated to the current site in 1342, is an important historical relic of the voyages to the Western Oceans led by Zheng He (1371-1433), a famous navigator in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

The palace, which was designated a major historical and cultural site under national-level protection in 2013, is also the oldest Mazu temple in the Jiangnan region (the region south of the Yangtze River).

The palace has held 12 cross-Strait cultural exchange activities in a row since 2011, serving as a bridge to strengthen emotional connections between compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

The palace's annual sacrificial ritual has been shortlisted as a provincial intangible cultural heritage item.

The Mazu Culture Museum was also unveiled during the event. It displays photos of Tianfei Palace's cultural exchanges with Taiwan and its history and cultural relics.

Taicang will tap into its natural and cultural resources to roll out a series of cultural and tourism products such as boutique Yangtze River travel routes, according to authorities.

Tianfei Palace in Liuhe town, Taicang, a county-level city in East China's Jiangsu province, is the oldest Mazu temple in the Jiangnan region. [Photo/WeChat account: tcfbgw]