? Must there be a shrine at home? : Feng Shui Connotation of Hakka Ancestral Temple

The small Zijincheng is an underdeveloped area in Guangdong in terms of economic strength, but its cultural characteristics are not inferior to other historical and cultural cities. According to Teacher Ye of the County Museum, Zijin people have always loved to build ancestral halls, and almost every village has built ancestral halls. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 500 ancestral halls in this county. Today, there are 34 ancestral halls with different surnames near Xiahou Street and Rulin Street in the county.

Small Zijin County, why are there so many ancestral halls with various surnames built near the county government?

Upon inquiry, it was learned that the local people all thought that the county government had good feng shui. Guanshan in the former dynasty was the peak of the top scholar, and the context was in this block. Therefore, ancestral temples were built around the county government, especially in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. However, friends in the same trade said that the Zijin County Guild Hall is not big, and now there are fewer and fewer talents. The answer to this geomantic mystery lies in the sentence "The iron net covers the head, and the beetle floats". People are not rich for three generations and cannot be officials. "

It is said that there is another reason for the formation of such a dense ancestral hall. When Zijin County was founded, the population of the county was less than 5,000, and several counties in Kaixian County were troubled by insufficient visibility and economic depression. Since then, some people have adopted the squire's suggestion to build Gong Xue Academy in the county seat, recruit students of all townships and surnames to study in the county seat, and mobilize all surnames to build ancestral temples in the county seat. For the land used to build ancestral temples, the authorities also made an exception and provided them all free of charge. As a result, surname families have seized the territory and built large-scale projects, not wanting to lag behind each other. During Jiaqing period of Qing Dynasty, the climate of ancestral hall street gradually formed.

The traditional society in China is a clan society, and the ancestral temple is the spiritual home of the Hakkas. Its first function is to offer sacrifices to ancestors. Ancestral hall is the habitat of ancestors' souls and a holy place for families to worship their ancestors. "Worship ancestors and educate new people", "Tracing back to the source is more important than temples", "No temples, no sects and no ancestors".

Due to the war and other factors, Hakkas have gone through hardships to move from the Central Plains to the south, and their living conditions are difficult. They need more moral support. The most powerful spiritual strength comes from the unity within the clan, and blood is thicker than water. At this time, it is just right to unite the clans under the banner of ancestors. Ancestor worship, nature and filial piety. Many Hakkas have prominent figures in their ancestors. For Hakkas, ancestors are their pride and spiritual pillar. Therefore, in the difficult process of moving south, Hakkas still don't forget to bring two things. One is genealogy. During the war of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the touching story of Tang Hu family in Shangzhuang village of Jixi abandoned all their possessions and fled with their genealogy was amazing. The second is to shoulder the remains of ancestors. When they arrive at the new settlement, they will be scrubbed clean, put in the "golden poppy" and reburied. This shows their strong concept of ancestor worship.