Taoist celebration draws 5,000 visitors in Beaufort

BEAUFORT: It was a colourful and festive Saturday night for the people in the town here as the Taoists celebrated the Jade Emperor’s Birthday or the Yu Huang Da Di (the first god) with a parade of decorated vehicles.

Organised by the committee members of the Lung Hwa Temple, Kampung Lumat, its chairman, Yong Kee Siew, said that the parade with 30 decorated vehicles was held for the first time.

Around 5,000 visitors of different races and religions from the district enjoyed the celebration and watched the decorated vehicles prepared by temples from all around Sabah move from Lung Hwa temple to the next three stops before returning to the temple.

According to Yong, the event which is part of Chinese traditional culture, not only symbolizes harmony in the State, but also a tourist attraction for Beaufort.

“Therefore, we (Lung Hwa Temple committee members) are planning to continue this parade next year,” he said when met at the event which was graced by Beaufort Umno division chief Datuk Isnin Aliasneh.

Meanwhile, Isnin who is also the Barisan Nasional Beaufort coordinator chairman, said that the event proved that the solidarity spirit among the community of different races and religions in Sabah is still strong.

“This is why Malaysia, particularly Sabah, is unique. Despite having different races and religions, we (Sabahans) can still unite as a ‘family’.

“Hence, the harmony and peace that we are enjoying must be protected from parties which try to break the stability we have between races and religions in the country,” he stressed.

At the event, Isnin presented a RM10,000 donation from Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman to the Lung Hwa Temple.