参拜

參拜
cānbài
verb #32,514

Meanings

  1. 1 to pay homage; to formally worship (a god, ancestor, or shrine)
  2. 2 to pay an official visit to (a shrine, temple, tomb)

Examples

Měi nián Qīngmíngjié tā dōu huí lǎojiā cānbài zǔxiān.
Every Qingming Festival he returns home to pay homage to his ancestors.
Rìběn shǒuxiàng cānbài Jìngguó Shénshè yǐnfāle wàijiāo zhēngyì.
The Japanese PM's visit to Yasukuni Shrine sparked a diplomatic controversy.

Tips

culture
参拜 is the formal verb for visiting a shrine, temple, or grave with ritual respect — bowing, offering incense, etc. In Chinese-language news it is most often associated with 参拜 (visiting the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, where Japanese WWII war criminals are enshrined), a recurring source of tension between China/Korea and Japan. It is also the everyday word for ancestor worship at family tombs during 清明节.
usage
参拜 emphasizes the formal/ceremonial act; alone is broader (bow, worship, visit). 参拜 takes a place or person of veneration as object: 参拜祖先 'pay homage to ancestors', 参拜寺庙 'visit a temple in worship'.

Stroke Order

cān
bài