The History of Run Cake

Run Cake at Ching Ming, in southern Fujian, Chaoshan and Taiwan is very popular, "Run Cake" is the name of the spring cake, flour as raw material rubbed and baked into a thin skin that Run Cake skin, wrapped in Run Cake filled with carrots, shredded meat, oyster omelette, cilantro, peas, bean sprouts, dried beans, slices of fishballs, shrimp, diced meat, fried egg, oyster omelette, crispy seaweed, Minced peanuts, fried vermicelli, cilantro, shredded garlic ......

Every year on the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar, or around the time of the Qingming Festival, it is customary to eat Run Cake. As for the allusion to Run Cake, it is said that in the Spring and Autumn Period, a sage Jie Zi push in order to take care of his mother refused the Duke of Jin's salary, took his mother into the mountains to live in seclusion, the Duke of Jin in order to force out the Jie Zi push to set fire to the mountains, it is expected that the son of the filial piety will certainly carry his mother to escape, but Jie Zi push but refused to comply with the dead, and his mother together with the burnt to death, sadness and remorse of the Duke of Jin from then on to stipulate that the day of the country can not be built on the fire, as the Cold Food Festival in order to honor! Jie Zi Tui's temperament, which is also known as the Qingming Festival. In ancient times, in the Qingming Festival on this day to eat cold food, the vegetables will be cooled and then wrapped into the pastry parcel to eat, such a custom has been passed down to today, we will be in the Qingming Festival to eat Run Cake to respond to the scene.

The third day of the third month of the lunar calendar is the traditional festival of the Han Chinese and many ethnic minorities, the ancient name of the festival. Legend has it that the third of March is the birth of the Yellow Emperor, China since ancient times, "February 2, the dragon carries the head; March 3, birth of Xuanyuan" said. After the Wei and Jin Dynasties, on the Festival was changed to March 3, followed by future generations, so the Han Chinese waterfront banquets, countryside tour of the spring festival.

March 3 can be pushed to memorial Fuxi. Fuxi and his sister Nuwa Tuan earth to create people, reproduction of offspring, the Yuandong area honored Fuxi as "human ancestor", in Huaiyang (Fuxi built the capital of the place) built Tai Hao Mausoleum Temple, by the lunar calendar from February 2 to March 3 for the Tai Hao Mausoleum Temple Fair, men and women of faith, the south boat north horse, all gathered in the mausoleum area, the ancestor of the pilgrimage.

March 3 of the lunar calendar, or the day of the legendary Queen Mother opened Peach Fair. In the late Qing Dynasty, there is a poem in seven lines in the "Du Men Miscellaneous Rhymes" that describes the temple fair of the year: "Spring is growing on the third day of the third month, the Peach Palace to see the burning of incense; along the river, the wind is slightly rising, ten feet of red dust on the ground." Legend has it that the Queen Mother of the West was originally the protector of a primitive tribe in the west of China. She had two magic treasures: one was the elixir of immortality that could be eaten, and the other was the peach of immortality, the coiled peach, that could prolong life. The mythical Chang'e flew to the Moon Palace after eating the elixir of Xiwangmu, which her husband Hou Yi had gotten. Since then, in some novels, the Queen Mother of the West has been described as the god of good fortune and longevity.

The third day of the third month of the lunar calendar is also the birthday of the Taoist Zhenwu Emperor. Zhenwu Da Di full name "North Zhentian Zhenwu Xuan Tian Da Di", also known as Xuan Tian God, Xuan Wu, Zhenwu Zhenjun. Born in the ancient Regulus era, the third day of the third month of the Chinese calendar, is a Taoist god in charge of military and war. Taoist palaces and temples all over the world hold grand pujas on the day of March 3, and Taoist believers also go to the palaces and temples to burn incense and pray for blessings on this day, or chant and pray at home. "Zhenwu Mountain Taishang Zhenwu Stele Record" on the origin of Zhenwu Da Di and the main Zhenwu Dojo in China, as well as Zhenwu's "benevolent heart" to "save the military disaster" have made a concise and artful explanation The book also explains how people commemorate Zhenwu on March 3rd. It explains the origin and significance of people commemorating Zhen Wu Da Di on March 3rd.

Anciently, the first six days of March for the "on the six", the Han Dynasty as a holiday. "is the month on the Si, the officials and the people are Jie (clean) in the East Stream on the water, said the washing and purifying, to go to the past dirt (disease), for the big Jie" ("After the Han Book - rituals on the Chi"). Later, the content of banqueting guests and trekking on the water was added. At night, families set off firecrackers in every room of their houses to blow up ghosts, and legend has it that ghosts haunt everywhere on this day.

So March 3 is mostly related to the ancient rituals and celebrations, and ranches are eaten on this day as offerings to the gods. The Central Plains through the historical changes to some of the traditional folklore lost, Minnan region and Taiwan to eat the custom is from the Central Plains, retained to this day. This is more proof that Taiwan compatriots are my Chinese lineage of the Chinese nation is an inseparable part.

With the progress of the times, the cakes are no longer limited to Ching Ming or March 3 to eat, has become a unique flavor of southern Fujian and Taiwan snacks.