HONG KONG, April 21 (Xinhua) -- A total of 13,839 citizens recited China's philosophical classic "Tao Te Ching" together at Hong Kong Stadium Saturday afternoon, setting a new Guinness record for "most people reading aloud simultaneously in one location."

    As the prelude of the "International Forum of Tao Te Ching", the rally attracted over two thousand citizens and guests. Leaders of six religious groups including Buddhism, Confucianism, Catholicism and Muslim officiated at the rally.

    This event echoes the expansion of the site of the original podium in Xian, Shaanxi province where the author of Tao Te Ching, Lao Zi, first delivered his lectures. To commemorate this event, various Taoist bodies in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland decided to organize an International Forum of Tao Te Ching this month.

    Andrea Banfi, the returning officer from the Guinness Book of Records announced the making of a new record and delivered a certificate to that effect.

    According to Guinness Book of Records, all participants in the rally had to sign a declaration proclaiming their willingness to take part in this record making event. During the reciting, every 20 participants were closely monitored by a person designated by the organizers to verify that they actually participated in the recitation.

    The previous record for "most people reading aloud simultaneously in one location" was made in Gary, Indiana on June 1, 2004, which gathered an assembly of 6,210 participants in this recitation event.

    "The wisdom of Tao bears great significance to building a prosperous, stable and harmonious Hong Kong society," Jiang Jianyong, vice chairman of China Religious Culture Communication Association said, adding that this event embodies the unity of religion circle in Hong Kong.

    Secretary for Home Affairs Patrick Ho said such a rally can only be held at a time when the country is in prosperity and the society is in harmony. At the moment when Hong Kong celebrates its10th anniversary of returning to the motherland, he was much touched by citizens' participating in the recitation.

    Translated into over thirty languages and reprinted numerous times throughout its two thousand years history, Tao Te Ching is one of the most studied and well-known Chinese philosophical classics and considered one of the most important texts in the human intellectual heritage. It analyzes the relations between human and nature, and reveals the truth of harmony in life.