How did you ask for rain in ancient times?

The ceremony of praying for rain is inseparable from dragons; No killing is allowed within seven days before it rains, otherwise it won't rain.

The "Tian Xuan the Great", also known as the "Arctic Emperor", which is enshrined in temples in the city, occupies a lofty position among the gods and can command the Dragon King. Therefore, the biggest action of asking for rain is to ask it to come out of the altar, that is, to carry its statue to the scene of asking for rain and ask the dragon to distribute rain. When asking for rain, the walls of the two streets are covered with colorful slogans called "rain stickers", which means please paste them under the rain; Pull a string of triangular colored flags horizontally in the air, which is called "raincoat rack", meaning that rain falls from the sky. Rain stickers and raincoat racks say "fine weather", "heavy rain" and "downpour" and so on. People who ask for rain should be barefoot and barefoot, or put on hats and hemp fibers to show a scene of rain. In front of the rain team, let the gongs and drums clear the way (only two drums and one gong are allowed, beating drums is more than ringing gold), then carry the statue of the North Pole Emperor, put a porcelain bottle in front of the statue, followed by the rain team of Baohaohui, and sing "rain song" while playing wooden fish; "Little people beg for rain, and all the people benefit; The gods are merciful and give rain to wetlands; Life was saved, and the rain remained dry; The weather is good, the country is peaceful and the people are safe. " And so on, to the "Longtan" (the folks call the deep drought a pool). To Longtan, fill the pond with empty bottles, which is called "taking water"; Grab a loach and put it in a bottle, and let the dragon king take it back to the temple with a water bottle filled with loach. Let it be exposed to rain in the open air, and then bring the water and loach in the porcelain bottle back to Longtan. This is called "sending the dragon king" and "returning the water", otherwise it will be useless to ask for rain next time. The form of asking for rain is not only expensive and employing many people, but also the statue of the Arctic Emperor is unique and can only be carried out in cities. It is well known that officials at all levels below should participate. In addition, when praying for rain in market towns and villages, a dragon is usually carved out of mud on the door panel, with egg shells as the branches of longan trees and dragon horns, and small clam shells embedded in the dragon to make a long forest. After the mud dragon was formed, it set up a tent and put it in a "suitable position" in the tent. Put incense tables in front of your head, light candles and kowtow to pray, and ask the old dragon to show his spirit, have mercy and spread sex and rain to save you. Then, the rain team, bareheaded and barefoot, played the triangle yellow dragon flag, beat gongs and drums, or accompanied by a band, and marched in mud dragons, burning incense and kowtowing every time they stopped to rest. Finally, the mud dragon was carried to the river with water, burned incense and kowtowed to pray, and then pushed into Hanoi, asking it to play in the water and beg for rain.