The customs and customs of Fengting

The Fengting Lantern Festival Lantern Festival custom has been inherited since the Song Dynasty. From the 13th to the 17th of the first lunar month, it is held by four communities in Jizhen District: Xiaqiao, Xiajie, Lanyou, Bachelor, etc. The north gate of Hexia Street naturally followed the village. More than 300 to 1,000 residents participate in the lantern tour every night, with more than 20 to 30 programs; more than 30,000 to 40,000 people watch the lanterns from across the province and overseas. In 2008, "Fengting Lantern Festival Customs" was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage masterpiece.

Fengting Lantern Festival Lantern Festival has a long history. It is said that it originated during the Qingli Period of the Northern Song Dynasty (1046). At that time, many people in Fengting City were officials in the court. They passed back the distinctive lighting styles in the Kyoto Lantern Temple. Hometown, combined with the Lantern Festival of hometown, is innovatively combined to form a Lantern Festival with unique regional flavor. "The bright moon fills the streets and the flowing water is far away, and the spring lanterns come in and the stars are high." In ancient times, the Fengting Lantern Festival was the most prosperous in southern Fujian. In June 2008, the Fengting Lantern Festival custom was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list.

Red plum blossoms welcome the spring, and spring is in full bloom. From the 13th to the 17th of the first lunar month, Fengting is dressed in festive costumes, from the foothills of Tadou Mountain to Xiaqiao Community, from Caixiang Cemetery to Lanyou Street, from Baoshi From Longxupeng to the ancient Lichi Ridge in the Song Dynasty, lanterns are hung high everywhere, colorful flags are fluttering, fireworks are like rainbows, and fireworks are colorful, creating a moving landscape of "a city full of lanterns, thousands of households empty alleys". A stream of people poured into the North Gate Square from all directions like a sea wave. In the evening, at eight o'clock, a procession composed of hundreds of floats and motorcycles marched slowly along the brightly lit New Market Road. Beautiful music was played from the loudspeakers on the floats, and large slogans shone in various colors. Thousands of young and middle-aged people hold high the exquisite and colorful "Flower Pot Lamp Head Lamp", "Nine Carp Leaping Lamp", "Centipede Exorcism Lamp", "Pine Tree Umbrella Lamp" and "Baixi Colorful Stand Lamp" on poles. ”, “Horse Racing Story Lantern”...like a mighty dragon churning and swimming. Each tractor is exquisitely decorated with characters from traditional folk operas, such as "The Goddess of the Strait", "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea", "Spring Grass in the Hall", "Cai Xiang", "Education" and "Famous, Special and Excellent Products" with a strong modern flavor And the shapes of Fengting Industrial Park and township enterprises vividly display the vigorous development of the ancient town's economic and cultural construction. Two lions are playing, two dragons are playing with pearls, and a jade rabbit is blessing. The skills are exquisite and the momentum is majestic. The spectacular lineup of the women's military band, drum troupe, and waist drum troupe is even more eye-catching. The youthful charm of "Half the Sky" galloping around in business travel is unique. Who wouldn't be envious of it? There were also humorous performances by men dressed as women, singing, dancing, and street dancing, which made people laugh out loud. The Lantern Festival Lantern Festival is an unprecedented event. Each program is devoted to the wisdom and efforts of the people of Fengting, showing the charm of ancient and modern lantern art. No wonder the emperor of the Song Dynasty used his chariot to watch the lanterns and wrote a poem to praise it: "Invite me to the unparalleled scene of Yuan Ye to lead the first spring of Fengjiang River alone."

The magnificent Lantern Festival attracts Chinese and foreign guests, overseas Chinese, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan compatriots who come here to enjoy the artistic style of the Fengting Lantern Festival, and are nostalgic for the saying "The moon is the brightness of my hometown, and the lanterns are my hometown." The local pronunciation and feelings of "red". People from Putian, Hui'an, Licheng, Laidian, Bangtou, Longhua and other towns specially drove to Fengting to join the trend of viewing the lanterns. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the situation was turbulent. Coupled with the dispute between the black and white flags, the people are even more miserable. On this occasion, it was first initiated by Hezhu Village, Donglin Village, etc., and Xiajiang Village actively participated in secretly organizing activities, and gradually united with Xiujiao Village, Dongding Village, and Cangxi Village to form a non-governmental self-defense organization with the "Six Townships" as the main body. The "Baohe Hall" was established to commemorate the famous patriotic general Yang Wulang of the Song Dynasty (Master Yang Gongtai), promote loyalty and filial piety, loyalty to the country and love the people, and carry forward the fine traditional culture of the Chinese nation. With the purpose of "protecting the environment and the people" and "harmony in the countryside", The good suppressed the evil, resisted the strong and supported the weak, correctly handled the extremely complicated "black and white flag" disputes at that time, turned hostilities into friendship, and created an environment of harmonious coexistence with the surrounding folks. The reputation is growing, the prestige is growing, the influence is growing, and it has developed into 36 townships. In 1985, two villages, Changcuo and Xiama, were added to form Township 38, with a population of nearly 50,000.

Every Lantern Festival, 38 natural villages in Linshan Palace in Fengting Town have routine outings and lantern parades. More than 2,000 people participate. The event lasts for three days and the outing distance is more than 50 kilometers. Stayed in 2 villages on the way. When traveling, the "Zao Li Dance" is used to clear the way, and then the gongs, big lanterns, colorful flags, horizontal batches, palace flags, golden claws and ax coins, dragon and tiger flags, deacons, gun squads, wind bands, horse teams, and dragon dances are arranged in order. , lion dance, eight classes, divine soldiers, high-ranking officials, low-ranking officials, incense pavilions, sacred sedans and various colorful driving teams, the journey is majestic and very spectacular. Zhuzhai is the collective name for Hai'an Village, Haibin Village and Heping Village.

"Zhuzhai Parade, also known as Zhuzhai Palace Outing, unites dozens of villages surnamed Zhu in the east of Fengting to hold collective "outing" street activities. The outing time is generally from the Shangyuan Festival to the end of the first month, when farmers borrow farm work For leisure, a large-scale mass cultural and entertainment parade was carried out. The men and women in the outing team voluntarily participated. The elderly included 80-year-olds and the young included children aged 5-6. Thousands of people lined up, with flags flying, drums and music, and people watching. The road is very lively with gongs and lanterns, colorful flags, horizontal batches, flags, propaganda boards, ancient bronzes, dragon and tiger flags, deacons, officials, flower dans, ten music, eight music, and car and drum teams. , military band, horse watching team, dragon dance, lion dance, Eight Troops, Zaoli, divine soldiers, flag officials, senior officials, low officials, incense pavilions, sacred sedans and various costumed historical figures stories, the outing team is in order, and the tour Most of the people were dressed up in disguise, including ancient dragon robes and phoenix crowns, swords, bows and arrows, as well as contemporary suits and leather boots, long gowns and short skirts. Men and women, old and young, had fun together. Along the way, gongs and drums were played, songs and dances were celebrated, which was trendy. Disco dance, men's and women's pas de deux, and friendship dances come in groups one after another, either dancing on the spot, dancing on stage, or dancing while walking, together with the ancient Zaoli dance, sedan dance, parasol dance, and dragon dance. , singing and dancing, a fusion of ancient and modern, each showing off its charm, embodies the joy of the festival and the rich and colorful folk culture of the villagers, and profoundly reflects the strong local folk customs and the rich historical accumulation of folk traditional culture.

Tong Ying's fire stepping is a major feature of the Zhuzhai parade. Tong Ying's fire stepping has a long history. Whenever the Zhuzhai parade Bodhisattva returns to the palace, Tong Ying's fire stepping is performed in front of the Zhuzhai palace. Traditionally, a large pile of wood would be erected in front of the Zhuzhai Palace. The pile of wood would be loaded with silver talismans and other tributes. The pile of wood would be lit before the parade returns to the palace. When the fire burns the pile of wood into charcoal, five or six children will appear in turn. Stepping on the fire with bare feet did not cause any burns. It was like a blessing from the gods. It was a surprise to everyone. The first Tong Ying came out holding the command flag and stepped across the fire, and then five or six Tong Ying got injured one after another. Zhai Dagong ran out and stepped on the fire scene, repeatedly, and stepped on the scene dozens of times. Everyone looked closely and felt the heat of the fire scene, and even admired the courage of Tong Ying who stepped on the fire scene. The "Dongzhai Temple Fair" is held in Dongzhai Village and Xiashe, Fengting Town. 53 natural villages including Rancuo Village, Shantou Village, Xinan Village, Xibei Village, Jiaowei Town, Tangbian Village and Gushi Village have held folk activities to worship Lord Jin and the Ten Palaces of Hell.

Since the Tang Dynasty. By the Song Dynasty, 66 people from Dongzhai were on the Jinshi list. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Liu Congxiao, a native of Yongchun, moved to Chihu Liuzhai (today's Liuzhai Natural Village of Fengting Dongzhai Village). Later, in the Five Dynasties, Cai Jing, a native of Chiling, was granted the title of King of Jinjiang. He worshiped the prime minister, and his younger brother Cai Bian was the prime minister in the same dynasty; Cai Xiang, a bachelor of Duanming Palace in the Song Dynasty, lived here for his ancestors; Chen Zheng, the deputy general of the Yiwei of Tang Dynasty, was buried at the tomb of Chen in Chihu (now the rich fruit farm of Dongzhaicun). The accumulation of history and culture has influenced folk belief activities and is also an important basis for the formation of the "Dongzhai Temple Fair".

When Liu Congxiao moved to Liuzhai to settle down, he once offered sacrifices to the village to pray for gods and "worship stones". " One piece is still preserved today; the ancestral tombs of Cai Jing and Cai Bian are located at the foot of Yangjiaozhai Mountain in the north of Dongzhai Village. Every year during the Qingming Festival and Winter Solstice, tomb sweeping has become an indispensable ritual for the Cai family. These sacrificial activities contributed to the formation of the folk custom of "Dongzhai Temple Fair" , and passed down and developed from generation to generation.

Dongzhai Temple was originally a small temple during the Tang and Song Dynasties. It was a place for local people to worship secular gods and worship. Legend has it that during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, there was a flood here, and a painting scroll floated from the upper reaches and was hung on a tree. After that, for several consecutive nights, the surrounding villagers heard the sound of the Sihe Hall coming out of the small temple and the sound of Mao ascending to the hall. The villagers were all surprised. So, they found the scroll and determined that this painting must be the one that appeared. Immediately Chen Qingyun, a native student, mobilized the people to rebuild the Dongzhai Temple. Since then, the Dongzhai Temple has become increasingly popular, and the number of believers has expanded from the original 5th palace (5 villages) to the 53rd palace (53 villages). A large number of believers from overseas have also come to worship, and the scale of the temple fair has become even more spectacular. Every year on the 18th day of the first lunar month and the first day of May, believers from 53 villages gather at Dongzhai Temple to hold a grand temple fair. During the temple fair, Dongzhai Temple organizes Lantern Festival lantern parades, statue parades and sacrificial activities.

The sacrificial activities of the "Dongzhai Temple Fair" include lanterns and colorful feasts in the temple, three fasts and six fruits, three animals and five cakes, and worship to the gods such as the Ten Palaces of Hell and Lord Jin. A stage was set up outside the temple to perform dramas and perform eight kinds of music, which lasted for three days. Believers from 53 villages and believers from all walks of life burn incense and worship here, donate gold, burn tribute silver, light firecrackers, thank God for their kindness, and pray for peace, good weather, peace and prosperity for the country and the people, and local prosperity.

The "Dongzhai Temple Fair" holds a Lantern Festival lantern parade on the 16th day of the first lunar month. The main temple is held by 6 villages in Dongzhai. Each household has a string of 10 lanterns, and each village is connected to form a group of lanterns. There are more than 1,000 people participating in the lantern tour. The lantern tour is guided by headlamps and plaques, with a band interspersed among them. The lantern tour team travels all over the main village road of Dongzhai Village, covering a total distance of 5 kilometers. Believers from villages crossing the border lined the streets to burn incense, marched with music bands to welcome the passengers, lit fireworks and set off firecrackers to welcome them as they were crossing the border. The temple lantern tour activities of each branch are held locally at the same time. On the 18th day of the first lunar month and the first day of May, the "Dongzhai Temple Fair" holds a parade of statues. The board of directors of the main temple organizes believers to carry the palanquins and statues, sound gongs to clear the way, and carry plaques, colorful flags, flags, deacons, Zaoli, and eight classes. , divine soldiers, horse teams, gun squads, bands and artistic teams that play out stories about historical figures form a vast outing team, with more than 1,000 participants. The tour starts from the temple and visits Dongzhai, Xiashe, Shantou, and Xinan. , Xibei and other villages, the journey is 10 kilometers. The palaces and temples they passed set up incense tables and marched with bands to welcome them off. Believers in the villages passing through also lined up to welcome them, lit fireworks, set off firecrackers, burned tribute silver, and hung beans for the statues of gods. There were thousands of spectators along the way, and it was very lively.

The "Dongzhai Temple Fair" has lasted for thousands of years. It retains the unique folk culture of traditional folk beliefs in Xinghua area. It is an important basis for studying local beliefs and customs. It is important for protecting folk culture, enriching and activating rural cultural life, and It plays an important role in promoting people's unity and building a harmonious society. In May 2013, with the approval of the Putian Municipal People's Government, the "Dongzhai Temple Fair" was included in the fourth batch of municipal intangible cultural heritage lists.