Borneo Mazu Cultural Festival back for 3rd edition

BT
3 days ago
2 min read

KUCHING, 24 April 2026: The 3rd Borneo Mazu Cultural Festival 2026 will be held this May 3 to 10, 2026 in Kuching, as announced by the Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, Dato Sri Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah during a press conference yesterday.

“I had the honour of officiating last year’s Borneo Mazu Cultural Festival, which was held in Muara Tebas, and while it has roots in Chinese beliefs, this event is a cultural celebration for everyone, and is a platform for unity and heritage preservation. The Borneo Mazu Cultural Festival is also a reflection of Sarawak’s spirit of unity in diversity, and showcases our multicultural harmony,” said Dato Sri Abdul Karim during the press conference.

Themed ‘Harmony Across the Oceans: Celebrating Shared Blessings’, the festival revolves around the most famous Chinese Sea Goddess, Mazu, who is regarded as the patron of seafarers and worshipped by people living in coastal areas in China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Inscribed in 2009 as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, she is deeply integrated into the lives of coastal Chinese and their descendants, and is celebrated twice a year in formal temple fairs across Asia.

Over the past 3 years, the Borneo Mazu Cultural Festival in Kuching has grown into a platform for cultural expression and community engagement, aimed at bringing people together in a spirit of mutual respect, harmony and shared goodwill. Rooted in maritime heritage, the festival has also grown to be appreciated by a wider audience beyond its traditional origins.

The festival will feature a series of programmes, including ceremonial observances, cultural performances, community activities and outreach initiatives. Among them are the Birthday Tribute and Incense Offering Ceremony, the Riverine Procession and Decorative Lighting Boats, the Petanak Mazu Temple Cultural & Creative Arts Bazaar, health screenings, traditional Chinese medicine services, welfare support activities and the Sacred Coin Blessing Ceremony.

“The highlight of the festival is the Riverine Procession, which will be held on May 9, 2026 at 4PM, departing from Petanak Market to Pangkalan Ang Cheng Ho. The procession will sail along the Sarawak River, past the Kuching Waterfront, make a u-turn after the Darul Hana Bridge and set sail for Kampung Bintawa before docking at Pangkalan Abok,” shared Borneo Mazu Cultural Festival Advisor, Sih Hua Tong, who also said that 27 boats are set to be part of this procession, including devotees and temples from China, Indonesia, Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia.

Also in attendance at yesterday’s press conference, Deputy Minister for Tourism, Datuk Sebastian Ting, Deputy Minister for Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Snowdan Lawan, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, Morshidi Fredrick, MTCP Head of Creative Industry & Heritage, Dr. Elena Gregoria Chai, Event Chairman for the Borneo Mazu Cultural Festival, Kho Khee Hua and Organising Chairman for the Borneo Mazu Cultural Festival, Aaron Ma Kher Chung.