Worshippers from Taiwan and the mainland attended a grandiose Taoist ceremony at Mount Tai in East China's Shandong province on Oct 16.

Robed worshippers perform rituals in front of crowds at Mount Tai on Oct 16. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

It is the first time a cross-Straits worshipping ceremony has been held on the mountain, which is considered to be one of China's most sacred places, symbolizing peace and unification.

The "heaven-worshipping" event was attended by 66 Taoist representatives from Taiwan and aimed to promote traditional Taoist culture and increase the intimacy between different Chinese ethnic groups.

Shrouded in an autumnal mist, Mount Tai's Heaven and Earth Square was adorned with red and yellow banners and flags with blessing written in Chinese characters.

Worshippers perform the traditional rite "Six-Row Dance" (Liu Yi Wu) during the ceremony. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The whole ceremony followed rigid rituals consisting of eight procedures, including welcoming the gods, offering sacrifices, presenting rituals three different times and waving away the god.

A prestigious scholar from Taiwan, Zeng Shiliang, gave a prayer on behalf of the worshippers and asked that prayers to abide by natural laws and regulations to be endowed with the blessing from heaven.

Zeng Shiliang, a prestigious scholar from Taiwan, gives an elegiac address during a Taoist ceremony. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Professor Zhou Jianbo from Peking University said the positive function of the ceremony was to popularize traditional Chinese culture, calling it the "soul of a nation."

For those who were unable to attend the live event at Mount Tai, an online worshiping ceremony was held.

The Heaven and earth Square of Mount Tai was chosen for the ceremony site for its cultural connotations. Mount Tai is a visiting card of Chinese culture and is a base for cross-Straits communication. The mountain was frequented by numerous emperors through the ages to pray for peace and a unified people.