Connecting people

For many in Taiwan, the bond is particularly intimate. Chang Ya-chung, general principal of Sun Yat-sen School in Taiwan, traces his roots to Yuncheng. "My father often told stories of my hometown Yuncheng, also Guangong's homeland," he says.

Chang estimates Guangong is known in every household across the island and enshrined in thousands of temples, revered by nearly 10 million people. For Chang, promoting Guangong culture goes far beyond nostalgia; it is an affirmation of a shared cultural identity. "Guangong culture is a quintessential part of our traditional Chinese heritage," he says. "Its core spirit runs deep in the veins of every Chinese descendant."

That sense of connection was palpable at the festival. Among the attendees from Taiwan was Yu Tung-jen, director of the Holy Emperor Guan Public Welfare Association, who returned after 12 years with a statue originally brought from the Chinese mainland. "We hope to come back every year," he says, "to promote Guangong's spirit together".

In Taiwan, Guangong's birthday sparks island-wide pilgrimages. One bicycle event, named after his horse chitu, or Red Hare, circles the island in 12 days. Now, Yu and his group plan a longer pilgrimage: 3,600 kilometers from Taiwan to Haizhou, a 36-day cycling journey to help Taiwan people "reconnect with cultural roots".

"There has always been interaction across the Strait," Yu says. "I am confident that such events will serve to deepen it."

Beyond the Strait, the belief travels farther still. Last year, a ceremonial flame of Guangong belief from Shanxi moved through Henan, Hubei and Fujian provinces, onward to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, and across Southeast Asia.

Soon Boon Hua, who leads the Guan Gong Cultural Association of Malaysia, sees such acts as mapping a living cultural geography.

"The festival strengthens friendly ties between Malaysian and Chinese cities," Soon says. In April, his association led 60 Malaysian entrepreneurs to Yuncheng, building trade and tourism links through a shared culture of Guangong belief.