What is a sedan chair? Brief introduction of spiritual contact

What is a sedan chair? Brief introduction of spiritual contact

The sacred sedan chair, also known as the "sacred land", is commonly known as the "sedan chair" by the people of Taiwan Province Province. It is an important sacrificial tool for gods to ride horses, visit, worship incense, travel around the world or work in the fields in folk belief activities or ceremonies. Due to the prosperity of folk belief activities and the prevalence of games to greet the gods in Taiwan Province Province, the sacred sedan chair is also highly valued, and it should be made with the most exquisite craftsmanship. Exquisitely carved sacred sedan chair is not only an important religious craft in Taiwan Province Province, but also the focus of people's attention in temple fairs.

According to its scale, sedan chairs in Taiwan Province Province can be divided into three types: two lifts (two lifts), four lifts (four lifts, commonly known as sedan chairs) and eight lifts (eight lifts, commonly known as big sedan chairs or sedan chairs). There are two kinds of sedan chairs: big ones and small ones. The smaller sedan chair, also known as the "hand sedan chair", is the smallest of all sedan chairs. Usually, a small statue is enshrined in the sedan chair, or it is stuck in front of the chair back to represent the gods. Generally, the victim is asked to ask God for advice, and the children and their deputies hold their legs on the left and right sides of the sedan chair respectively. Large-scale two-liter sedan chairs are common in touring all over the country, so it is necessary to attach sedan chair poles on both sides of the sedan chair body, which are carried by two people before and after, or the sedan chair is lowered by the gods, and the sedan chair pole on the right side is used as a pen when lowering the sedan chair.

Four sedan chairs are slightly larger. Similarly, tie long bars on both sides of the sedan chair and carry them by two people in parallel, or add a bar in front of and behind the sedan chair and stir up the left and right bars with hemp rope, which becomes the form of carrying the sedan chair in tandem. When getting off the sedan chair, the front railing is used as a pen, and when getting off the sedan chair, it is called "plucking". sedan chair is the largest of all sedan chairs, and so is the way of sedan chair. First, tie a long sedan chair pole at the left and right sides of the sedan chair, and then use hemp rope to stir up a short transverse sedan chair pole at the front and back, and then use vertical short sedan chair poles at the left and right ends to support it, so that it can be carried by two people on both sides, and the same method is adopted at the back of the sedan chair. Eight sedan chairs are mainly used for gods to ride, and are generally less used for descending.

The form of sedan chair has different shapes because of its size. In addition to hand-held sedan chairs specially designed to reduce health, two-liter and four-liter sedan chairs are usually used as plush chairs without adding sedan chairs, which are also called "military sedan chairs". People who had sedan chairs in the early days are rare now. The eight-liter sedan chair is usually used as the roof of traditional palaces and temples, also known as the "literary sedan chair", while the sedan chair without a roof is also known as the "Wu Shen sedan chair", which is mostly used by Wu Zhi gods such as monarchs and city gods. The sedan chair is decorated by wood carving and painting, and some brocade ornaments are often added to the sedan chair body to show its gorgeous style and reverence for the gods. Eight sedan chairs have always been the most valued by the people, especially the sedan chair used by Notre Dame (Mazu), which is called "Phoenix chariot" because of its high status. In recent years, when people hold temple fairs, they often push the sedan chair with wheels under it or put the sedan chair on the truck. Among them, Emperor Baosheng's sedan chair is popular, with a fixed unicycle under it, which is positioned separately, while the sedan chair of Bao 'an Palace in Dalongdong, Taipei is led by white horses, unicorns, dragons and other auspicious animals, and is called the Miracle Palace.

In recent years, believers have the custom of crossing sedan chair's feet. In the original form, they stepped over the foot of a parked sedan chair and used their bodies as cushions for the gods, praying to get rid of bad luck. Later, when God made a patrol, the believers knelt on the road to let the sedan chair pass. Folk beliefs have the function of asking the gods to forgive their sins and bless them.