Dejiang's history and heritage

Dejiang Tujia people's "Dragon Frying" custom has a long history and deep cultural heritage. The characteristic of "frying" demonstrates the local Tujia people's valor and expresses the Tujia people's pursuit of a better life.

The action is rough and graceful, with different shapes, such as "Dragon Rolling Embroidery Ball", "Dragon Coiling Lotus Flower", "Fierce Dragon Jumping into a Stream", "Two Dragons Playing in Water "Dragon Rolling Embroidery Ball", "Dragon Coiling Lotus Flower", "Fierce Dragon Jumping into the Stream", "Two Dragons Playing in the Water", "Two Dragons Embracing the Pillar" and other movements and routines, and gradually showing new features.

But no matter how the form changes, the cultural essence and elements of its inheritance are getting deeper and deeper into the hearts and minds of the people, perpetuating a belief in the value of peace.

First, the Tujia "fried dragon" and the dragon worship of the Chinese people The dragon in the legends of the Chinese people can be visible, can be hidden, can be fine, can be huge, can be short, can be long.

The spring equinox ascends to the sky, the autumn equinox submerges in the abyss, calling for wind and rain, omnipotent; in feudal society, the upper level is the embodiment of the emperor's rule, and the folk is a sign of good fortune.

As the embodiment of feudal imperial rule Dejiang has been under the rule of the central dynasty since ancient times, Yin and Zhou belonged to the ghost side, the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period belonged to the southern border of the State of Ba, from which time onwards, the culture of the Central Plains through the political pathway to spread to the various regions in the borderlands.

In ancient times, human beings were unable to make scientific explanations for some astronomical phenomena, natural disasters, plagues and diseases, and had to pray to various gods for blessings.

As the main object of totem worship of the dragon, at that time is undoubtedly the main body of the people's worship.

After the Qin and Han Dynasties, the dragon as the embodiment of the emperor's rule has penetrated into all corners.

In the Sui and Tang dynasties, the establishment of Yongzhou, Feizhou, etc. in the territory of present-day Dejiangdi accelerated the speed of the worship of the dragon (god, king).

Wang Yanyu's "Guizhou History Thematic Examination" records: "Sui early set Shicheng County, belonging to the Yongzhou; Kaihuang nineteen years (599 years) set Buchuan County, belonging to the Yongzhou; Renshou four years (604 years), Yongzhou assassins please in the north of the Fu Shui Fuyang County; Daye two years of the abolition of the Yongzhou." According to history, Yongzhou only survived for 21 years.

The short-lived rule of the state did not prevent the continuation of authoritarian rule in this territory.

The establishment of Feizhou illustrates the problem: Feizhou was originally built in the first year of Xuanzheng of the Northern Zhou Dynasty (578), but was abolished after Sui's unification, and then Fulchuan County was set up on the former Feizhou land.

Tang Zhenguan four years (630 years), divided Si State of Fulchuan, Fuyang two counties copied Feizhou, and cut Qianzhou Wanzui, phase Yong two counties to belong to, and then cut Si State of Dotian, Chengle two counties to Na, Zhenguan eleven years (637 years), the abolition of phase Yong, Wanzui two counties.

Tianbao yuan year (742 years), changed the state county, said Fuchuan County; Qianyuan yuan year (753 years), the name Feizhou, leading four counties: Fuchuan, Fuyang, Dotian, Chengle, state rule Fuchuan (now Dejiang).

Feizhou's establishment had several ups and downs, but the history of its name is as much as 480 years.

The site of Rongzhou now has the name "Nga House", and the site of Feizhou now has the name "Longmen", which fully reflects the cultural legacy of the feudal emperor's rule.

Especially Feizhou was set up as a tie-up state in Song Taiping Xingguo five years (980) until 1118, which made the identity of the "emperor" or "dragon (god, king)" transferred, that is, from the officials of the Central Plains to the officials of the ethnic minorities. Minority officials, and then led the jurisdiction of the region Sinan, Sizhou two major Tusi is the development of this culture.

The dragon, as a symbol of dominance, has maintained social stability and unity to a certain extent, and has contributed to the progress and development of society.

The dragon was also spread and consolidated as an implicit cultural symbol that the people believed in, so that this cultural symbol accumulated more elements of beneficial development.

As a symbol of folk auspiciousness Treating the dragon as a symbol of auspiciousness is a product of worshipping the dragon as a protective deity.

So people went around carving dragon tattoos, drawing dragon shapes, and even falsely claiming to have seen dragons.

Until modern times, the Tujia region of Dejiang still circulates many patterns related to the dragon, in addition to wood carving in furniture, decoration and many stone carvings, in the backpack, waist, clothing and other household items can also be seen everywhere, which is undoubtedly the result of the dragon as a symbol of auspiciousness.

February 2 "dragon head-raising" festival is an important traditional Chinese folk festival, is a day dedicated to the worship of the Dragon God.

According to scholars, the formation of the festival on the second day of the second month of the Lunar Calendar is a product of the Chinese people worshiping the dragon as the god of water in charge of rain.

The second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, when the hibernation, spring equinox, the earth is gradually warming up, the folklore that hibernation of the winter dragon it is from this day onwards to raise the activity, and then the rain will be more.

As early as Yongle eight years (1410), Dejiang has a "dragon dance for rain" graphic record: the year the beginning of the construction of the Flying Dragon Temple (when the jurisdiction of the Si state) within the wall of the "rain map", although after 600 years of vicissitudes of life, the painting of the grass dragons, characters Still clearly visible and vivid.

By the Qing Dynasty, a special place was built to worship the Dragon God.

"Sinanfu renewed" (Daoguang): "Dragon God Shrine: in the Zitong Pavilion on the left, the main shrine three lattice.

Daoguang eighteen years (1838), Mu built shrine, after the Guanyin building.

Qianlong fifty-nine years (1794), the county people Liu Xin, Liu Sheng donations, outside the hall, the shrine that changed its hall and the creator." Tongren Fu Zhi" in the record of the Dragon God Temple, there is a narrative, the Yongzheng five years by the Oracle: "Dragon God walk rain, bless the country and bless the people, the function is remarkable.

I have set up in the capital of the provinces in the Dragon God statue bit, for the provinces to pray.

Today, I think the Dragon God specializes in the provinces of the rain ...... I specially made the provinces of the Dragon God size of the two statues, the governors of the provinces to welcome, enshrined in the local, pious show of sacrifice." Visible worship of the dragon and rain prayers were prevalent everywhere at the time.

According to legend, the Qing Tongzhi years, the present Dejiang Jingjiao Township people Yang Deyou because of the suppression of the Yellow Horn Army uprising has been successful, the official rank of five, the folk said he was a dragon dance, "send treasure" born, so the two dragons engraved on its tombstone.

In Fuyang ancient city ruins, a tombstone female host carved dragon, male host carved phoenix is to the Tujia dragon worship adds a mysterious color.

By the Republican period, the dragon dance has been concentrated from the past villages and cottages to the county, but the dragon dance routine, especially the dragon dance has been greatly reduced, the only dragon is a year better than a year, its "fried" is staggering, highlighting the intensive bombing of firecrackers, fireworks with fireworks burning and yellow smoke continuously smoked.

Second, the Tujia "fried dragon" and Ba culture Tujia "fried dragon", showing the cultural qualities in addition to the worship of the dragon itself, there are a variety of cultural factors of the Tujia and the impact of national character.

1, the Tujia "fried dragon" and the national character of the Ba people and their descendants The Tujia "fried dragon" to the outside world to show the outstanding characteristics of the man's masculine beauty and the spirit of struggle against all odds.

According to the research of modern scholars, the ancestors of the Tujia people originated from the Cubans, which is recorded in the "Classic of Mountains and Seas", "The Book of the Later Han Dynasty", and other historical books.

Initially, the Ba people were mainly located in the land of western Hubei and eastern Sichuan.

With the expansion of Chu's power, the main force gradually moved west.

The Ba people lived "as far east as Yufu, as far west as Bo Dao, as far north as Hanzhong, and as far south as Qian and Fuling.

The Ba people have a long history of fighting in the Wuling Mountains.

According to the "Huayang Guozhi - Ba Zhi" cloud: "King Wu of Zhou to conquer the Zhou Dynasty, really get the division of Sichuan.

Written in the "Book of Shang".

Ba division brave, singing and dancing to Ling Yin people, the former disciples fell back, so the world said: 'King Wu invaded the Zhou Dynasty, before the song and dance' also." From the record here, we can see that the Ba people not only fight "brave", and can sing and dance, has a deep cultural roots, which is the same as the "fried dragon" cultural qualities.

The Tujia people of Dejiang (including most of the Tujia area) still have the custom of New Year's Eve.

The New Year's Eve, also known as the "New Year's Fair", is the most important festival of the Tujia people.

The month is bigger than Lunar New Year's Eve, and the month is smaller than Lunar New Year's Eve, which is one day earlier than the Han Chinese New Year.

According to legend, in the 33rd year of Ming Jiajing (1555), due to the defeat of the dynasty ***, Japanese invaders continued to attack the southeastern coastal areas of our country, and the imperial court had sent troops to fight against the Japanese many times, but all failed miserably.

Zhang Jing, the Minister of the Imperial Household, asked the Emperor to send troops from Hunan, Hubei and Qiandong to pacify the Japanese, which was approved by Emperor Ming Shizong, who sent Hu Zongxian to supervise, and limited the journey to the 30th day of the 12th lunar month.

The leaders of the soil soldiers know that it is difficult to return, decided to spend the last year with their loved ones, and so ordered: "Steam steamer rice, cut emery meat, pouring a big bowl of wine, a day ahead of the New Year and then go on the expedition." Because of time constraints, a bacon, tofu, radish stew in one pot, called "combined dishes", because it is the New Year's Eve before the expedition, parents in order not to disturb their son's sweet sleep, cooking without lights, cooking without a knife, the meal also seems to be unusual.

The soldiers went to the front after the repeated successes, and soon defeated the Japanese, recovered the lost territory, the defense of the motherland security, Shi Zong personally gave a plaque, inscribed "Southeast war first".

In order to carry forward the patriotic spirit of their ancestors, the descendants designated the 29th day of the Lunar New Year as the New Year Festival.

New Year's Day, still get up in the middle of the night, do not light the lamp, cooking in the dark, without a knife to cut vegetables, the meat into a lump, tofu inserted into a block, vegetables twisted into knots, mixed in the pot to cook.

The action of eating is also faster than usual, creating a tense atmosphere.

Of course, there are many explanations for the origin of the Tujia's New Year's Eve custom, but most of them are related to the war.

Whether it is to take the initiative to attack the enemy, or to prevent the enemy from making a surprise attack, it shows that the Tujia people live in a hard environment where it is difficult to live in peace, and they are in a tense state of life even on days like the New Year Festival.

Some people describe the people who used to live in the Wuling Mountains as "good at forging iron for the sword, kneading wood for the crossbow, in and out of every wear a knife and carry a gun, the character of the particularly courageous." It is these brave blood in the Tujia people's lineage, creating today's Tujia "fried dragon" magic skills.

2, the Tujia "fried dragon" and the Cubans and their descendants of the white tiger worship Tujia totem is the white tiger.

"After the Han Book - South Barbarians Southwest Barbarians biography": "Ba County, South County barbarians, there are five surnames: Ba's, Fan's, Shen's, Xiang's, Zheng's.

The people were motivated by their own culture, and the people of Cuba and their descendants, the white tiger.

All out of the Wulu Zhongli Mountain.

The mountain has two red and black points, the son of the Ba clan was born in the red point, the son of the four surnames were born in the black point.

There is no king, all the gods and ghosts, about **** throw the sword in the stone cave, the fruit can be in the person, served as a king.

Ba's son of the business phase is the only one in the, all marveled.

And then make each take the earth boat, about the one who can float, when thought of as a king.

The rest of the family name all Shen (sinking), only the service phase alone floating.

He was established as a granary king.

He took an earthen boat and went from the water of Yishui to Yanyang ...... granary king died, and his soul was transformed into a white tiger.

Ba people Chuan tiger drink human blood, so Chuan people shrine." Today, the Tujia worship of the white tiger is also reflected in many aspects, children with tiger head cap, furniture in the tiger leg round table and so on.

The white tiger worship of the Tujia people and other ethnic cultures, especially with the integration of Taoism to form a "left dragon, right white tiger" concept of faith.

In ancient China, in order to observe the celestial phenomena and the operation of the sun, the moon, and the five stars, twenty-eight star officials were selected as the symbol of time measurement, known as the "twenty-eight hosts".

It is divided into four groups, each group of seven hosts, with the east, west, south, north and four directions and the Canglong, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Xuanwu (turtles and snakes collectively) and other animal images to match, known as the "four elephants", the Taoist name for the "four spirits".

Twenty-eight hosts in the formation of the concept of the four elephants very early, to the early Warring States has been recorded.

A little later, "Li Ji - Qu Li" cloud: "line before the Zhu bird and after the Xuanwu, the left blue dragon and right white tiger." Kong Yingda Shu: "Zhu Bird, Xuanwu, Qinglong, White Tiger, the names of the four quarters of the host also."　　To this day, the Tujia people live and live in the place, more built on the mountain on the terrain, was a tiger sitting in the shape of the "left blue dragon, right white tiger, before the Zhuquan, after the Xuanwu" for the best house.

White tiger worship and the worship of the green dragon are integrated, constituting an important part of the Tujia faith.

Dejiang County also has Chaojiao Qinglongzui, Nanke Qinglongshan and other place names directly related to the "Qinglong".

3, the Tujia "fried dragon" and the Cubans and their descendants of folklore There are a lot of stories and legends passed down in the Tujia ancestors, but with the development of society, many have disappeared in history.

However, some legends about dragons have been widely spread among the people.

For example, the Dejiang "Legend of Dalongtang" is to this effect: Dalongtang was originally a temple, the temple set up a private hall, there is a Mr. teaching here.

One night, the gentleman dreamed of an old man, who said to him: "Tomorrow I will part with you.

I thank you for your kindness and affection, and ask you to hide for a while while while I am gone." Waking up was a dream, and the gentleman wondered.

The next day, the gentleman and his disciple were eating together when a dog snatched their rice ladle and they went after it.

As a result, the sky rumbled loudly and the original temple turned into a pool of water.

Later, people thought that this big pond is the dragon turned over and disappeared into, so they called it the big dragon pond.

In addition, the Tujia region has a similar but different versions of the legend: once a family was very poor, there is a well behind the house, the owner of the New Year's festival on the well incense burning paper, one day, a white-bearded old man came to the owner to cast a dream, so that he temporarily left.

The next day the master really left the house, and when he went far away, there was thunder and lightning and heavy rain.

When he came back, the place where he used to live had been transformed into a good field, and he lived happily ever after.

These two legends are similar and typical.

It shows that the ancestors of the Tujia people have reached an unprecedented high level of worship and expectation of the dragon.

Here, the Tujia forefathers also anthropomorphized the dragon god into an old man in a dream.

The traditional Chinese old man is kind and friendly.

The Tujia ancestors worshipped the Dragon God as a relative.

"Frying the Dragon", is a continuation and expansion of the worship of the Dragon God by the Tujia people.

Third, the Tujia "fried dragon" and its ritual sacrificial attributes The Tujia "fried dragon" mainly includes "starting water (water sacrifice) - bright dragon! --Sending the stickers - Dancing the dragon in the house - Sending the dragon treasure - Racing the dragon - Frying the dragon (Lantern Festival) -The Dragon Frying (Lantern Festival) - Burning the Dragon" and so on.

Nature worship and ancestor worship is the main belief of the Tujia people in the ancient times, and the Tujia "fried dragon" is *** with the integration of nature worship and ancestor worship features.

First of all, the dragon is a legendary animal in nature, and sacrificing to it belongs to nature worship; secondly, the dragon is the totem of the Chinese nation, and sacrificing to it belongs to ancestor worship.

After continuous development, the "deep-fried dragon" has y brought the brand of religious worship, with the attribute of sacrifice.

"Sacrifice" is a religious action that changes the condition of a virtuous person when he accomplishes the act of sanctifying a sacrifice or the sanctification of some object related to him.

The Tujia "dragon" ceremony of "water rising" is a typical sacrificial ritual.

Starting the water, that is, after the dragon braided and tied by the dragon (equivalent to the "priest") to organize the masses beat gongs and drums, the dragon sent to the river or well, burning incense and paper, held a series of sacrificial activities, the King of the Dragon down to earth, come to the people with the people to enjoy, and to bless the earth and the wind and rain, the country and the people in peace.

Rituals, there are "in the first month of the first month of the first month, have invited the Dragon King to the folk, and the people enjoy peace with the people, the lively and hot over the New Year" folk song as evidence.

If the water is said to be "fried dragon" the beginning of the sacrifice, bright dragon to fried dragon this process is the main content of the sacrifice, a "fried dragon" ceremony, the purpose has been achieved, but everything is still not over.

"The community of people and things formed around the sacrifice for this occasion has no reason to continue.

Yet it must be evacuated slowly, it must not be disturbed, and, since it is created by the ritual, it can only be disintegrated by the ritual." In the Tujia practice of "blowing up the dragon," the ritual that breaks it down is the burning of the dragon, which is the withdrawal of the sacrifice.

Burning the dragon refers to the sixteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar, the dragon will be sent to the river, participating in the dragon dance personnel to eat the dragon rice, the dragon skeleton will be burned to show that the dragon returned to the sea to send God to heaven, to complete the Tujia people in the good wishes of this sacrifice.

Fourth, the Tujia "fried dragon" and the integration of Han Lantern Festival customs handed down to the present "fried dragon" customs have been organically integrated with the Lantern Festival customs, manifested in: fried dragon rituals in the first month of the fifteenth, and the Lantern Festival fusion of the Lantern Festival; dragons and Lantern Festival fusion, the Dragon Lantern Organization has been rapidly developed. Dragon lantern organization has been the rapid development of the dragon lantern tunes also in the absorption of local lanterns and other tunes on the basis of their own characteristics.