Name: Grand Water and Land Ritual Assembly
Start: 2016-11-05T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2016-11-12T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Infinite Life Merit Forest (Wu Liang Shou Gong De Lin)

Event Overview

A grand eight-day Water and Land Ritual Assembly, formally titled "The Grand Dharma Assembly for the Universal Salvation of All Sentient Beings in the Ten Directions," will be held from November 5 to 12, 2016. This significant Buddhist ceremony aims to pray for world peace and national prosperity.

Event Details

Date: November 5–12, 2016
Time: Full-day ceremonies over eight days
Location: Infinite Life Merit Forest (Wu Liang Shou Gong De Lin), No. 13 Rua de S. Domingos, Macau
Admission: Free

Ceremony Highlights

Grand Dharma Assembly: Nearly one hundred eminent monks and masters from Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau will preside over both the inner and outer altar rituals for eight days and nights.
Participant Scale: Thousands of devotees will gather to offer prayers for global peace and the well-being of the nation.
Final Day Procession: The "Grand Send-off Procession" will take place on the final day (November 12) at 2:00 PM.

Grand Send-off Procession (November 12)

Start Time: 2:00 PM
Route: The procession will commence from the Infinite Life Merit Forest, proceeding through Travessa do Padre Narciso, Rua de S. Lourenço, Avenida da Praia Grande, Dr. Stanley Ho Avenue, Beco do Bota, and Rua de S. Lourenço before returning to the starting point.
Entertainment: The procession will be accompanied by lion dance performances and folk music ensembles.

Historical Background

The Water and Land Ritual Assembly originated during the Southern and Northern Dynasties under Emperor Wu of Liang. It was further developed and enriched during the Tang Dynasty's esoteric Buddhist practices and matured into its current form during the Song, Yuan, and Ming Dynasties, continuing to be practiced today.