What is the construction procedure of Chaozhou folk houses?

In the past, people were very particular about building houses in Chaoshan rural areas. There are a series of custom activities, from choosing geomantic omen, breaking ground, erecting beams to living in houses.

In the eyes of Chaoshan people, the quality of Feng Shui is related to the future, destiny, fortune and success or failure of a family. So choosing Feng Shui is a major event before building a house. "Choosing Feng Shui" mainly depends on whether this foundation has "qi". There is a scientific reason for Chaoshan Feng Shui to emphasize "Qi". The theory of "Qi" is summarized from cloud gas, water vapor, smoke and human breath, which has a great relationship with life. The qi in the human body maintains vitality and strength, making the body and mind stable, and the qi of the earth maintains the growth and metabolism of all things. Therefore, Feng Shui pays special attention to Qi, which leads to such statements as weather, local atmosphere, Yin Qi, Yang Qi, atmosphere and humidity. In essence, it is to pursue the harmony and unity of the qi of human small universe and the qi of the surrounding natural universe, so as to ensure people's physical health and psychological peace, and thus have the ability. Therefore, when choosing Feng Shui, we should especially avoid "death", "suffocation", "leakage" and "leakage".

How to look at the "qi" of a house mainly depends on the shape: angry people have a slight shape; Form, qi. Qi is hidden but hard to know, and its shape is obvious. The soil is auspicious, the soil rises with it, and the transformation is also outside. Miracle, the shape must be beautiful, special and dignified; If the qi is fierce, it will be thick, stubborn, oblique and broken. This will build a bridge between the abstract "Qi" and the concrete form of the natural environment. Only by observing the natural form carefully and deeply can people know the good or bad of "Qi", thus inferring the fortune of the house and choosing a good place.

What do you think of the shape? Chaoshan people usually invite Mr. Feng Shui who specializes in this technique. In fact, Mr. Feng Shui always looks at dragons, caves, sand and water according to the so-called "five geographical tricks". "Five geographical hints" is the theoretical key for Mr. Feng Shui to choose Feng Shui. In fact, the natural environment is divided into four categories: dragons, caves, sand and water. According to these four conditions and their relationship, the site and location direction of building foundation are determined. Therefore, the investigation and reconnaissance of these four elements constitute the main content of feng shui activities: if the house site is close to the mountain, the mountain should be full and gentle, not too steep; If it is near water, it should be running water, not DC, so as to "gather money". After the foundation of the house is selected, a small shrine should be built on it and an incense table should be placed for uncle Di (the land god). Before breaking ground, a ceremony of "promising land" should be held: that is, three or five livestock and paper money should be used to worship uncle land and pray for blessing. After the land shrine is set up, from the beginning of breaking ground, simple sacrifices (or candy or biscuits) will be used for sacrifice.

Don't dig coffins and bones when you break ground, because digging these shows that this place used to be a "haunted house", fearing that its soul would not leave and be harassed. Therefore, whenever this happens, burn incense and paper money, move to other places respectfully, and don't throw it around.

In addition, it is forbidden to dig "Tai Sui", which has been described in Lun Heng Nan Sui. Among the previous books that recorded the "Tai Sui" principal offender, Continued Records and Youyang Miscellaneous Notes are the most vivid descriptions. Yuan Haowen's "Continued Jane Yizhi" contains: Uncle He Xin, a native of Xuzhou, found a place for burial after his father died. When he led his servant to dig the ground, he dug up a piece of meat the size of a washbasin. They were so scared that they quickly buried it again. Soon, Uncle He Xin passed away. Soon after, his wife and relatives died more than ten people. Everyone I know says it's because I hit the traditional soil. Youyang miscellaneous two volumes. The sequel also includes: There was a man named Simomo in Moxian County, and his brothers didn't believe the saying "Tai Sui". He once dug a hole in the direction of "Tai Sui" and dug a piece of meat, which was as big as a bucket and wriggled. So the Simomo brothers buried the meat, but they couldn't. Simomo and the others were very scared. After a night, this piece of meat actually filled the yard. The Simomo brothers and their families fell ill and died within a few days.

In order to ward off evil spirits and eliminate disasters, people not only set up land gods, but also produced some methods to ward off evil spirits. The common ones are: setting up a "Shi Gan Dang" stone tablet on the homestead. Sometimes the whole village will be stoned. This kind of "Shi Gandang" is often set at the entrance of the village, by the river or pond, or at the corner in front of the door, directly at the fork in the road.

There is a legend about the origin of Shi Gandang: In the era of the Yellow Emperor, Chiyou was cruel and no one could beat him. Everything he wants is hard to keep, and the Yellow Emperor has repeatedly lost and fought. Once Chiyou climbed Mount Tai and claimed on Mount Tai: Who dares to do it? Nu Wa was angered by Chi You's arrogance, and Nu Wa threw stones to control her violence. The inscription "Mount Tai Shi Gandang" eventually led to the rout of Chiyou. The Yellow Emperor set up "Mount Tai Shi Gandang" in various places. Every time Chiyou saw this stone, he fled in fear and was captured in Zhuolu and imprisoned in the North Pole. Since then, "Taishan Shi Gandang" has become a folk magic stone to ward off evil spirits. There is also a saying that originated in the Zhou Dynasty, and Shi Gan was regarded as the name of God "General Shi". Because Jiang Ziya helped Xi Qiwen and Wu Erwang destroy the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, he was named "Mount Tai-Shi Gan Dang" after his death, and the theocracy kept the door closed. Because Mount Tai in Dongyue is magnificent and majestic, it is regarded as a miraculous god, which can suppress any spectre, and later it evolved into an exorcism god. According to Zhu Yuanji, in the Five Dynasties, Liu Zhiyuan had a brave general named Shi Gandang, who turned the corner all his life and was a lucky general. Therefore, after Shi Gandang's death, the world will carve a stone with his name on it when he crosses the bridge to defend the residents. Therefore, later generations have a poem praising: "A was a military official in those days to protect the residents in the town. Defend the fork in the road and bury the soil. "

These legends were seized and used by Mr. Feng Shui, thus casting a mysterious color on this stone. "Lu Ban Jing" said: "Whoever chisels Shi Gandang must choose Chen Jia, Chen Bing, Chen Wu, Chen Geng, Renchen, Jiayin, Bingyin, Wuyin, Gengyin and Renyin after the winter solstice. This 10 day is Dragon and Tiger Festival, so we can make good use of it. On New Year's Eve, three pieces of raw meat were offered, and Xinzheng Yin Shi stood at the door so as not to be seen by outsiders. Whoever has a roadway to rush, use this' Shi Gandang'. " In the process of building a new house, if you want to erect doorposts and put beams on them, you must lay a red cloth under them and wrap some copper coins. The purpose of red cloth is to ward off evil spirits, and the meaning of coins is to turn money into treasure.

After the new house is completed, a ceremony of "clearing oil and fire" and "thanking the soil" must be held before moving in. When "clearing oil fire", first cook a pot of peanut oil in a large iron pot. One man lifted it with an iron fork, and the other man carried the wine to the middle of the house. The wine carrier sprayed the wine into the pot, only to see the wine on fire and smoke billowing. The route of clean oil fire extinguishing is from top to bottom, from inside to outside, in turn. "Clean oil fire" is intended to drive the devil out of the house. Therefore, the operator can't talk, can't stop halfway, and after the house is cleaned, he has to leave the house and pour out the oil and wine before finishing cleaning. Nowadays, people usually set off more firecrackers, holding a long string of firecrackers and walking around inside and outside. There is also a person behind the firecracker who conveniently sticks his spell on the doors and windows.

Clean up the oil fire, followed by "thank the soil." In the hall, room, kitchen and other places where the gods are set up, five sacrifices are set up to burn happy cannons to worship the land to thank the contribution of the earth god. After the sacrifice, the five animals were presented to the foreman and master, while the "red peach pulp" was given to the masons as a reward. And hold a banquet to invite friends and relatives. Relatives and friends must bring sugar, glutinous rice, lamps, mirrors and other items to celebrate the completion of the master's new house.

Some of these old customs are based on science, but some are feudal superstitions, which cannot be taken seriously.