After thousands of years of development, Shanwei has transformed from a small fishing village into an important port city
Jinyang.com reporter Wang Manqi
Mazu, the belief in the sea god in the coastal areas of Fujian and Guangdong in my country, has been passed down for thousands of years and has become the “Goddess of Peace at Sea” that connects the emotional bonds of Chinese and overseas Chinese. In 2009, the “Mazu Faith and Customs” nominated by China became a “intangible cultural heritage of human beings” in the world, becoming China’s first world heritage of faith and customs; in the same year, the “Fengshan Mazu Temple Fair” submitted by Shanwei was also listed as a provincial intangible cultural heritage. For a hundred years, Fengshan Ancestral Temple has been an important force in spreading Mazu culture, and has witnessed the transformation of a small fishing village in the vicissitudes of life and the transformation of a small fishing village into a port city.
From Fujian to Guangdong
The legend of Mazu originates from the legendary story of Lin Mo, a fisherman on Meizhou Island, Putian, Fujian during the Northern Song Dynasty: Lin Mo rescues the poor and often rescues the dead fishermen and navigators in the angry sea. In 987 AD, she unfortunately died while rescuing the ships killed in Meizhou Baykou at the age of 28. People praised her merits and believed that Lin Mo had “been ascended to heaven”, so they set up a temple to worship her and respectfully called her “Mazu”. From the Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, Mazu was conferred 36 times by emperors of all dynasties, and eventually became the “sea god” and “Holy Mother of the Queen” admired by the people.
The faith of Mazu was first introduced to Shanwei. It is located in Jiazi, a coastal town in the southeast of Shanwei. There is a Tianhou Temple, which was built in the fifth year of Qiandao in the Southern Song Dynasty (1169 AD). It has been standing for 850 years. Today, in Shanwei (known as Haifeng County in ancient times), most of the residents under their jurisdiction moved from southern Fujian from the Ming Dynasty, and mainly made a living by fishing. Fishermen worshipped the Mazu’s throne under the mast of the fishing boat, thus bringing the Mazu faith to the eastern coast of Guangdong.
At the late Ming Dynasty, as more and more ships and fishermen settled around Shanwei Fishing Port, believers built a simple bamboo shed temple on the shore of Pinqing Lake and the southern foot of Fengshan, introducing the spirit-dividing incense of Mazu in Meizhou, which is the source of Fengshan Ancestral Temple. According to historical records, during the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty, the Tianhou Temple was built in Longshan, Dade, Changsha and other places under the jurisdiction of Haifeng. At this initial stage when Mazu’s faith settled in Shanwei, the historical and cultural characteristics of “before the people and then the temples gather people” were presented.
Prosper by the sea
How can the Mazu culture in Shanwei be spread through the carrier of Fengshan Ancestral Temple? This starts with the prosperity of Shanwei Port. In the early years of Qianlong’s reign in the Qing Dynasty, the number of fishing boats gathered at Shanwei Port increased day by day, and the fishing boats were increasing day by day.://funnybookish.com/”>Komiks 1960 witch cloth draw Industry and businessBabaylan 1990 cloth draw have achieved great development. The simple temples at the foot of Fengshan are no longer able to meet the needs of more and more admirers among the people. Draw asked for it. Therefore, in the sixth year of Qianlong (1741 AD), the “First Affairs of the Construction of Fengshan Ancestral Temple” was composed of wise men of the people, wealthy businessmen, fishermen (boss), representatives of major clans, and representatives of fishermen. After more than a year of construction, it was successfully completed the following year, and a temple with three-in-one and two-yard layout in Chaoshan architectural style was built, with a main building area of 840 square meters.
More than 180 years after the Fengshan Ancestral Temple was built, by the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China period, Shanwei Port entered the second golden period of development. Feng He Xiafeng, the former head of the Cultural Relics Section of the Shanzumiao Tourism Zone Management Office, and Luo Zha, a retired cadre who served as the first stationmaster of Fengshan Cultural Station, discovered in his long-term study of Shanwei Mazu culture: In 1903, Haifeng County traded foreign trade, and opened passenger and freight shipping on routes such as Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Shantou, and trade flourished; in 1909, International International Corporation built a lighthouse on the Zhelang Peninsula, attracting many fishing boats from the outer port to gather in Shanwei fishing grounds, and also boosted the shipbuilding, fishery supporting handicrafts and commerce in Shanwei Port. href=”https://funnybookish.com/”>Cinema 1950 witch cloth draw industry and catering industry development; Sun Yat-sen’s “State of Founding Strategy Two” also describes the grand occasion of Shanwei Fishing Port: “Because Shanwei Port has a very good bay and a good fishing ground, there are no less than one or two thousand tugs from Hong Kong, Macao, western Guangdong, Fujian and other places in the past year…” In order to adapt to the fishery Cinema 1950 witch cloth The coastal town of Shanwei has been developed three times, and a large number of imitating European style arcades were built along the street. From the 1920s to 1930s, Shanwei was known as the “Golden Shanwei” and “Little Hong Kong”.
The prosperous temple was developed. As a fishing practitioner and the “guardian god” of the port, the revitalization of the Fengshan Ancestral Temple of Mazu was put on the agenda. At the beginning of November of the lunar calendar in 1934, a magnificent Fengshan Ancestral Temple with carved dragons and painted phoenixes and magnificent magnificent Fengshan Ancestral Temple was repaired. The lively sacrifices and folk celebrations lasted for more than half a month.tps://funnybookish.com/”>Komiks 1960 witch cloth draw for a long time.
OnKomiks 1960 witch cloth drawFrom the 1960s to the 70s, the Fengshan Zu Temple was once crowded into a school. Until the reform and opening up, Mazu culture was reaffirmed and respected. Draw is highly praised and promoted. In 1991, the Shanwei City Urban People’s Government approved Fengshan Zumiao as a county (district) cultural relics protection unit. In the same year, Fengshan Komiks 1960 witch clothes was established. drawAncestral Temple Cultural Relics Management Office and Fengshan Ancestral Temple Construction Council. In December 1994, the first phase of the Fengshan Ancestral Temple was successfully completed, basically retaining the original appearance of the first Chongguang period in 1934. The Tianhou Pavilion was newly expanded, and the second large Mazu stone statue in the country (the other is the Mazu statue in Meizhou Island) was erected on the top of Fengshan. It is 16.83 meters high and weighs more than 1,000 tons. It is carved from 468 granite stones. The Mazu Cultural Plaza at the foot of Fengshan covers an area of 60,000 square meters and is currently the largest square named after Mazu.
To this day, Shanwei Fengshan Ancestral Temple has become an important activity center for Mazu culture in Hailufeng area and even in eastern Guangdong. The Fengshan Ancestral Temple Tourism Zone has become a national 4A-level scenic spot, receiving nearly one million tourists at home and abroad every year.
Fengshan Ancestral TempleBabaylan 1990 cloth draw receives nearly one million tourists at home and abroad every year Photo by reporter Wang Manqi
Cultural link
Since the Qing Dynasty, Mazu worship has evolved from a regional folk belief to a world-wide respectEspecially in the Han cultural circle, almost all the Tianhou harems exist in ports such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore.
It is worth mentioning that the mother Babaylan 1990 cloth drawancestor worship culture has always been a cultural link connecting the emotions between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. For Taiwanese people, Mazu represents “roots” and represents attachment to their hometown. Mazu culture has also always been linked to the friendship between local sages and overseas Chinese. Chen Bijiang, president of Shanwei Mazu Cultural Association, said that there are currently more than 1.3 million compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Mazu is the common spiritual sustenance of many local sages. From 2005 to the present, Shanwei has successfully held many Mazu Cultural Tourism Festivals and economic and trade activities with the Fengshan Zumiao Tourism Zone as a carrier. According to reports, at the China Mazu Cultural Tourism Festival held this year, dozens of calligraphers and painters from Beijing, Taiwan and other places worked together with local artists in Shanwei to carry out artistic cooperation of “soul fit and cross-strait harmony”. In recent years, Shanwei City has advocated the Mazu culture through regular cultural exchanges and cooperation with Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. It has promoted the Mazu culture to unite people’s hearts and gather overseas Chinese forces, making the Fengshan Ancestral Temple gradually become a spiritual home and cultural paradise for Chinese at home and abroad.
Interview
The essence of Mazu culture is consistent with traditional culture
Zhou Jinyan China Mazu Cultural Exchange Association Komiks 1960 witch cloth draw Executive Deputy Secretary-General
Yangcheng Evening News: What kind of historical positioning does Mazu culture have in Chinese traditional culture?
Zhou Jinyan: The essence of Mazu culture is consistent with the core ideas and concepts of China’s excellent traditional culture, Chinese traditional virtues, and Chinese humanistic spirit. The Mazu culture characteristics of “peace, harmony, and tolerance” are reflected in the core ideas and concepts of the excellent traditional Chinese culture, such as Tao follows nature, unity of man and nature, harmony, and seeking great equality. The Mazu spirit of “establishing morality, doing good, and great love” is consistent with the social custom of respecting morality and goodness, and the idea of benefiting the people. The educational idea of exhorting goodness in Mazu culture, the customs and habits of praying for peace and stability in the country and society in Mazu customs, and many Mazu literary and artistic works that have been passed down to this day are all manifestations of the Chinese humanistic spirit. In 2016, “Give full play to the positive role of folk cultures such as Mazu culture” was written into the national “13th Five-Year Plan”, which fully demonstrates that Mazu culture has become an important part of the national strategic resources, and also emphasizes Mazu culture.Transform as the particularity of Chinese folk culture.
Yangcheng Evening News: What are the characteristics of Guangdong Mazu culture inheritance and communication?
Zhou Jinyan: Guangdong is connected to Fujian’s mountains and rivers, and is one of the earliest influences to spread Mazu’s beliefs outward. Since the Song and Yuan dynasties, the development of the eastern coastal marine economy, the formation of commercial transportation routes, and the construction of immigration and marine activities have all become key factors for the introduction of Mazu’s faith into Guangdong. Maritime businessmen are an important communication group of Guangdong’s Mazu faith. Guangdong people are good at merchants and the navigation industry is also very developed. In the past, red-headed ships entering and leaving ports such as Chaoshan were loaded with cargo to Taiwan, Fujian, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Cinema 1950 witch cloth draw and even Tianjin, reaching Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao, Leizhou, Hainan, and directly to Southeast Asia. Therefore, before boarding the boat, merchants and fishermen always go to Ma Palace to enjoy incense and make wishes. When they return safely, they kneel down to Ma Palace to fulfill their wishes. They respect Mazu’s piety as much as those of Fujian people. Overall, Guangdong Mazu culture communication is a distribution layout along the coastal zone with “points”, “lines” and “surfaces”.
Yangcheng Evening News: How to continue to write good articles on Mazu culture in the context of national cultural confidence and cultural revitalization in the new era?
Zhou Jinyan: Highlighting the service of world peace in the new era and playing an active role in promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. This is the new mission of Mazu culture in the new era. In terms of regions, the Maritime Silk Road should be the focus of the Maritime Silk Road to radiate and expand the spread of Mazu culture in neighboring countries and regions; in terms of population, the overseas Chinese, especially around the world, should be based on the Chinese. Draw‘s Chamber of Commerce focuses on promoting and driving the dissemination and development of Mazu culture in the country where it is located; in terms of carriers, we should focus on helping the “Belt and Road” initiative to expand and promote the dissemination and development of Mazu culture to the world..
In the context of the new era, promoting Mazu culture can also promote the integration and development of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, promoting the mutual understanding of the people through the local love between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and using the local culture between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to enhance Mazu culture, and treat it as the common homesickness of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Extension
Fengshan Temple Fair displays folk culture
Every year, the Fengshan Ancestral Temple in Shanwei holds a number of large-scale folk cultural activities. Among them, the larger and widely influenced ones include the “Grandpa Parade” on the Lantern Festival of the first lunar month, the Mazu God’s Birth Festival on the 23rd of the third lunar month, and the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month Cinema 1950 witch clothes drawYulan Festival (Zhongyuan Festival), etc.
The birthday of the Mazu is the most important temple fair of Fengshan Ancestral Temple. On that day, the big dramas were held, and many other local operas in Shanwei took turns to take the stage. In recent years, even the Huangmei Opera in Anhui and Henan Opera in Henan have been invited to participate. Local opera troupes will be honored to perform at the Fengshan Ancestral Temple stage, as an excellent opportunity to showcase the troupe’s level and the talent and style of the actors.
In addition to displaying the rich and colorful folk culture and art of Shanwei, the Fengshan Mazu Temple Fair also has various local food and snacks, which are dazzling. The traditional relic program of competing for color cannons is also loved by the public, attracting thousands of people from all walks of life to participate in the bidding for the cannon head. The scene is tense and vivid and spectacular. Getting the color cannon means that the year will be safe, prosperous, and good luck will be with you.
This issue is co-organized by Shanwei Municipal CPPCC