The Spring Ancestral Worship and Clan Gathering of 2026 was held at the Qilu Hall in the San Francisco Bay Area on March 29th, attracting overseas Chinese and community members to come together to honor their ancestors and uphold Chinese cultural traditions.
The ancestral worship ceremony began at 11 a.m. with Du Zhaoming serving as the main officiant. Participants followed a series of rituals such as offering incense, flowers, and reading sacrificial texts. They paid respect to the ancestors of the Chinese nation and the ancient sages of Qilu with three bows, creating a solemn and respectful atmosphere. Following the ceremony, everyone exchanged greetings and well wishes.
After the ancestral worship ceremony, the handover ceremony for the Chairman of the Board was held. The outgoing Chairman of Qilu Hall expressed gratitude for the continuous support from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco and the Overseas Community Affairs Council, as well as the efforts of past teams and overseas Chinese community members, which have led to the stable development of the hall. She mentioned the hall’s participation in promoting the Confucius ceremony and hoped for ongoing support for its operations and cultural inheritance.
In her speech, the Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco acknowledged the challenges Qilu Hall has faced in its 43-year history of promoting Confucian thinking and Chinese culture. He praised the outgoing Chairman for her dedication and congratulated the incoming Chairman, expressing hope for the new team to continue advancing the hall’s mission. He shared his humorous experience of participating in the Confucius ceremony for the first time last year, creating a lively and relaxed atmosphere.
Chuang Yashu, the Director of the Southern Bay Area Overseas Chinese Education Center, highlighted the significance of Qilu Hall in uniting Shandong locals overseas and promoting cultural heritage. She commended the hall for initiating the Confucius ceremony, which is one of the largest overseas Confucius rituals globally and a pioneering event in the San Francisco overseas Chinese community. She thanked the outgoing Chairman for her foundation-building efforts and expressed confidence in the new Chairman’s leadership in achieving further success.
The new Chairman, Sha Cheng, expressed gratitude for the support of various sectors and the efforts of past teams in making Qilu Hall a vital platform for fostering community bonds. He acknowledged the honor and responsibility of his new role and pledged to continue promoting traditional cultural activities like the Confucius and ancestral worship ceremonies. He emphasized the importance of integrity and kindness in serving the community and looked forward to continued support for the hall’s development efforts.
At the event, Sha Cheng’s father handed out red envelopes to attendees of all ages, spreading warmth and joy. A birthday celebration activity was also organized, with March birthday celebrants singing “Happy Birthday” together and blowing out candles. The Qilu Hall’s board members sang “Fengyang Huagu” in harmony, and there was a charity sale of delicious food items, as well as song and dance performances and karaoke, creating a lively atmosphere.
Towards the end of the event, Lin Daying, President of the Chinese Traditional Heritage Foundation, announced a positive development. This year, they received a federal grant of approximately one million US dollars for the reconstruction of the pond around the statue of Confucius, symbolizing reverence for Confucius and Chinese culture. Additionally, they plan to initiate restoration projects for the Friendship Gate, including cleaning and repainting. Bidding for the related construction projects is expected to start this year, and they expressed gratitude for the generous donations from the Bay Area overseas Chinese community, hoping for continued support and assistance in promoting the reconstruction of the Chinese Culture Park project.