What does the ancient retreat Zen mean?

Closing the Zen, also known as offering sacrifices to heaven, land, mountains and transportation, is an important ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven in China feudal dynasty. The worship of Zen originated from the activities of offering sacrifices to heaven, earth and ancestors in ancient times, and developed into a privileged Confucian ethical thought in the Zhou Dynasty, which was endowed with political significance in the feudal system of Qin and Han Dynasties. Generally speaking, Zen is presided over by the emperor himself, and the ceremonies of offering sacrifices to heaven include offering sacrifices to the sun, the moon, the earthquake, the spring and autumn, etc. It is the highest-level ceremony in the national sacrificial system.

The ancients believed that everything in heaven and earth had spirits, and political stability was closely related to the obedience of monarch and minister to the laws of nature. Therefore, the closed-door meditation ceremony has become a means for rulers to consolidate and strengthen monarchical power and unite people. The closing ceremony of Zen is not only of political significance, but also of religious and cultural significance. It is one of the most important traditional activities of China culture. Ancient Zen not only represented the social system and culture at that time, but also was an important part of the long course of Chinese civilization.

In modern society, Zen has lost its political and imperial symbolic significance. But it is still an important cultural heritage, which embodies the historical, cultural and spiritual heritage of the Chinese nation. As a result, when some cities celebrate major national festivals, they will hold grand meditation ceremonies to pay tribute to their ancestors and history and show the profoundness of China's traditional culture. At the same time, meditation has also become an activity to attract cultural tourists and promoted the development of cultural tourism industry.