YINGKOU, China, May 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- A moving legend of a mother looking forward to her son's return and her true sentiments moving heaven and earth has been told around Wang Er Shan, located in Yingkou Bayuquan, Liaoning Province, for thousands of years. An original report on this story and accompanying ceremony by City Channel of CRI Online follows:
Quest for History
A common peasant mother painstakingly raises her son into an adult. Her son goes on to take the imperial examination and before leaving, he promises to come back to see his mother after the examination, but he never returns. The mother, who misses her son so much, looks forward to his return every day. Year after year, she finally turns into a figure of stone on the top of the mountain, which was later named Wang Er Shan.
So far, the local people in this area still maintain their ancient customs of respecting and loving their mothers. On Mother's Day every year, the local people will carry out various activities to show their respect and love to their mothers.
Current Footprint
In order to commemorate true holy maternal love as well as carry forward the virtues of respect and love for mothers, Yingkou Municipal Government established "China Yingkou Wang Er Shan Mother's Day" themed "Loving mother, Loving hometown and Loving motherland" with Yingkou Wang Er Shan as a carrier in 1995, which is held every year. Over the past decade, hundreds of thousands of tourists have flocked to gather under Wang Er Shan. They express their thoughts and feelings by worshipping the stone figure of the mother. Therefore, Wang Er Shan has become a holy place for tourists to show their respect and love for mothers and to give thanks for them. Mother's Day in Wang Er Shan, one of "China's Top Ten Local Festivals", is the first Mother's Day boasting of content, scale and effectiveness.
Thinking and Enlightenment
Children's education is not only the business of parents but also the responsibilities of the whole of society. Motherly spirit should keep pace with the times so as to make it one of the important spirits which enable the whole of society to keep faith. Mother's Day in Wang Er Shan gives us three enlightenments, that is, firstly, maternal love and kindness includes the grace of birth, the grace of life care, the grace of education and the grace of children and family care; secondly, feel thankful to maternal love, treat parents kindly, and implement gracious behavior by our loyalty and compliance to mothers; thirdly, the combination of upbringing and education and the establishment of a harmonious parent-child relationship to become a fit mother.
"Kindness, selflessness, wisdom and responsibility" highlight spiritual connotations of maternal love; the ceremony at Wang Er Shan aims to make everlasting motherly spirit deeply fall into the depths of our hearts, and root maternal love into the heart of everyone. Kindness contains mercy and love, which shows tolerance and goodness of mothers -- mild and refreshing.
Route: started from Beijing, there are multiple train frequencies every day. Tourists can directly arrive in Xiongyue, Yingkou
