What is a Han Chinese temple fair like?

When it comes to temple fairs in ancient China, many people immediately think of "temple" as a Taoist temple. A "temple fair" is a gathering near a temple to offer sacrifices to the gods, entertainment and shopping. In fact, this understanding is only a later meaning of temple fair, which was not the case in the ancient times. About the "temple", Song Gao Cheng in the "things Jiyuan" that began with Emperor Xuanyuan. He said: "emperor (according to: refers to the yellow emperor) ascended to heaven, the bureaucrats admire, take a few staff to set up a temple, and then had traveled to all the ancestral temple, the beginning of the temple." It can be seen that during the Three Dynasties, "temple" was a place for the ruling class to worship their ancestors. Xu Shen said in Shuo Wen Jie Zi: "The temple honors the ancestor's appearance (mào appearance)." Duan Yucai of the Qing Dynasty commented, "Ancient temples to ancestors, where the gods are not for the temple, the temple for the gods, the beginning of the three generations later." It can also be explained that the temple of the Xia, Shang and Zhou times, only the emperor, the nobles sacrificed to the ancestors of the place. The so-called "Zuo Zhuan" says that "the major events of the state are in the rituals and the military", which means that the major events of the state are in the wars and the temple sacrifices. This kind of temple sacrifices. The general public can not participate. The ancient "meeting" is not the so-called "party" of the general public, but refers to the meeting between the son of heaven and the vassals or the vassals and the vassals on a regular or irregular basis. That is, the "Zuo Zhuan" so-called: "the vassals three years old and hired, five years old and the dynasty, something and will, not in agreement and alliance." This is an extremely important diplomatic activity. Zhou Li - Chun Gong - Da Zong Bo " said:" the vassals see said will." This kind of "meeting", need to be in the son of heaven or the allies of the temple, first of all, the king or ancestors for the sacrificial ceremony, in order to clarify the ruler and his subjects, near and far, and then into the theme of the meeting. Although the words "temple" and "meeting" were accidentally combined here, this kind of "temple meeting" was a solemn political activity, which was not consistent with the meaning of the temple meeting in later times.

The later temple fair, in essence, refers to the religious activities caused by religious festivals, and includes these elements, in the temple or its vicinity to pay the gods, entertainment, God, entertainment, entertainment, fair and other activities held in the mass gatherings. The initial function of the temple fair was to entertain the gods, and then gradually added recreational and economic functions, which developed more fully in the Sui and Tang dynasties. The formation of these functions was closely related to the religious activities of Buddhist monasteries and Taoist temples. It developed and perfected along with the folk belief activities. As we know, Buddhism and Taoism flourished in the Tang and Song dynasties, and numerous temples and Taoist temples and temples were built, and a wide range of religious activities appeared. First, the "statue" activities. From the Northern Wei Dynasty was prevalent. The so-called "line like", is the statue of God and Buddha mounted on a colorful car, in the city and countryside tour of a religious ceremony, also known as the "line of the city", "tour of the city" and so on. Northern Wei Xiaowen Emperor Taihe nine years (485) after moving the capital of Luoyang, the Buddha, every year Shakyamuni birthday will be held "line like". Buddha traveled the day before, Luoyang City, all the temples will be sent to the Jingming Temple. When there are more statues of Buddha, there are more than dry. Traveling procession to avoid the evil lion as a guide, the treasure cover streamers and other subsequent, music and drama, all kinds of juggling, brilliant, lively. After the Tang and Song Dynasty, the temple fair to welcome the gods, out of the patrol is this period of the line like the inheritance and development of activities, and gradually extended to Sichuan, Hubei, Xixia all over the world. Yuan, after the Ming Dynasty, the wind of the line like the decline, rarely seen in the record. Secondly, organizing a dojo, some legal or Buddhist activities, sitting and waiting for believers in the masses to fasting to listen to lectures, worship. In the Buddha, Taoism and two religions held a variety of festivals and celebrations, civil society, will also take the initiative to go to the rally to help. In this way, temples, Taoist temples will gradually become a religious activity based on the mass gathering place, the early temple fair thus formed. At this time, the temple fair, sacrificial activities are the main, grand and lively, market trading activities are derivatives. The further prosperity of the temple fair is in the Song Dynasty, until modern times, it is with the increasing number of civil temples, the development of the commodity money economy and the development of many in the specified date in the temple and the nearby fair, became the main purchase of goods market, religious activities is secondary. The temple fair is also named "temple market", become an important form of Chinese market, spread all over the north and south.

The temple fair as a unique Chinese folk phenomenon, its function has evolved quite complex, summarized as follows: it is both the participants and the spirit of the viewer can play a relaxing and regulating role, showing the spirit of primitive carnival, can entertain the public physical and mental, to promote exchanges; its organization of the convergence and dissemination of traditional culture has played an important role; it effectively promotes the prosperity and development of the local commodity trade economy. The prosperity and development of the local commodity trade economy.

The temple fair has become an indispensable part of people's lives in both urban and rural areas. To the economic and cultural center of Beijing's temple fair as an example: Beijing's temple fair is once a year, some have a few days in a month, in addition to a fixed period, there is no fixed number of days. For example, in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period: every month, nine, ten, one, two is Longfu Temple, every three is the land temple, every five, six is the White Pagoda Temple, every seven, eight is the Protector of the State Temple. Plus the first day of the first month of the opening of the temple of Dongyue Temple and Dazhong Temple (generally open temple 10 days to 15 days), the second day of the temple of the God of Fortune, seventeen, eighteen of the Baiyunguan, the third of March, the Peach Palace and so on. Various types of temple fairs almost every day, sometimes more than one a day, so that Beijing is the world of temple fairs. It is not easy to count all the temple fairs exhaustively. Here are a few typical temple fairs in old Beijing: First, the Chengfang Street area in Xicheng District is the City God Temple. The temple enshrines the City God, the god who guards the city of Beijing. During the Ming Dynasty, the scale of the temple fair at the Du Cheng Huang Temple was quite impressive. Second, the Xuanwumen outside the lower diagonal street west of the land temple temple. The temple fair is held on every third day of the month, with commercial activities as the main focus, and wooden and bamboo utensils as its specialties. Third, Beijing Fuchengmen Nei Street Road north of the White Pagoda Temple Fair. In the lunar calendar every month on the fifth and sixth days, is also one of Beijing's main temple fair. Old Beijing Zaoji" recorded: "...... have a period set, three of the Land Temple, four, five of the White Pagoda Temple, seven, eight of the Protectorate of the Temple, nine, ten of the Longfu Temple, called the four major temple market, all with a view to the set." Wooden bowl stalls, cricket cans, grasshopper gourds, bird cages during the temple fair are its characteristics. Fourth, Beijing Xicheng Xisi Pailou north, Guiguo Temple Street, Guiguo Temple Temple Fair, in the lunar calendar every with seven, eight two days. Temple fair stalls, goods, where you can not only buy goods, but also listen to comedy, juggling, food, clothing, with, play everything. Temple fair on the jade stalls, meat and potatoes store and fan store is characterized. Fifth, the east side of Beijing, the west of the temple fair of Longfu Temple. The scale of the capital city temple fair at the top of the monthly nine, ten two days. The temple fair on jewelry and jade, antiques, carving and lacquer trading is very prosperous. The most characteristic is Longfu Temple snacks, a variety of different, seasonal changes, popular. Sixth, Beijing Hepingmen outside the Liulichang near the factory Dian Temple Fair. From the first to the fifteenth day of the first month of the Lunar Calendar every year, it is the most crowded and lively place during the Spring Festival in old Beijing. It was gradually formed by watching the lanterns, and its scale has been considerable since the Qianlong period. There is a wide variety of goods of all colors at the temple fair. Seven, outside the Xibianmen in Beijing, Fuxingmen Baiyun Road, east of the Baiyun Guan Temple Fair. Every year, the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar to the nineteenth, mainly religious activities. Baiyunguan is Beijing's largest Taoist temple, known as "the first jungle of the whole truth. The main activities of Baiyunguan Temple in the first month of the lunar calendar include "touching the stone monkey", "playing the money eye", "searching for the fate of the star", etc. However, the above temple fairs are now only surviving. However, the above temple now only exists in the factory Dian and Baiyunguan two, it is a pity.