On the back of the archway of Xi 'an Chenghuang Temple, it says, "Are you there?" What does this mean?

Chenghuang Temple is the patron saint of the city. Although the formal concept of religion is not particularly advocated now, in ancient times, the city god temple was indeed a very important part of a city, similar to the altar abroad, because it was a collection of beliefs in people's hearts. In people's minds, it protects the normal development of the city and judges people's justice and evil.

Not only does the Shanghai Town God Temple have such a statement, but you have been to many Town God temples all over the country? These four words are not handed down by later generations, but have their own meanings. He basically means that you come to Chenghuang Temple every day to confess your life? Because a person's life is definitely full of ups and downs, there are always some things that can't fully conform to his own heart. For the judgment of good and evil, he should have a steelyard in his heart and adhere to certain standards himself. The existence of the Town God Temple is to let people really face their own hearts and truly find their true selves.

In ancient times, an emperor ruled a city, and it was an important part to tell the city god temple what he had done. It is said that what you have done for your own people, what bad things you have done, whether you are sacrificing for the overall interests or hiding private things for personal interests, will be perfectly tested in the Chenghuang Temple, and the good will be praised, and the wicked will never escape punishment. Therefore, the existence of the City God Temple is equivalent to a mirror of people's hearts, which makes people really understand what kind of person they are.

Now we don't advocate religious belief. We don't support, encourage or oppose more religious words, and we still enjoy religious freedom. However, many temples and Taoist temples all over the country were built without endangering social order. People still have this habit of fiasco, which can be said to have been very clearly integrated into people's lives. Now the Chenghuang Temple has gradually become a very important tourist attraction in a city. In fact, many people don't go to pay homage or to their inner beliefs, but for the name of a local cultural gathering place. For example, there are many food stalls and many handicrafts near the Chenghuang Temple, which are very attractive.