Video: 2019 Send-Off Emperor Boat Festival in SinKang Khoo Village, via XiaoHongShu. Credit to the original creator.

7 December 2025 (Lunar 10月十八)

This December, our ancestral SinKang Village will once again host the Send-Off Emperor Boat Festival, a cherished Hokkien tradition that dates back to the Ming dynasty.

The Heavenly Emperor’s envoy

This event is unique tradition to the 3 Minnan regions – Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, and Xiamen) and Taiwan too. Somehow, it is not practiced in other parts of China nor at other areas of Fujian. Our legend says heavenly envoys (known as wangye) were sent by the Jade Emperor to patrol the mortal world and combat illness and injustice every 3 years.

Today, the village continues our ancestors’ legacy of parading an Emperor Boat through the village – symbolizing the envoy’s inspection of our village collecting the hopes and aspirations of our people. The boat together with the wishes are later ceremonially burned, signifying release and rebirth.

You may check out the folklore belief behind the tradition http://www.ydxx.net/show/210/6322.html

To all SinKang Khoos:
If you wish to know more about this heritage, please follow the source link below and contact Toon Boon Tong Khoo Kongsi – 敦文堂邱公司 for more details.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/100069610625081/videos/3068843356607285/?rdid=Tu5pfFENqgUyLiWK