How were sacrifices made in ancient China? What are the different kinds of sacrifices?

In the ancient times, when "the most important thing of a country is to sacrifice and to defend the land and the border", sacrifices and defense of the land were equally important.

Yandi's rituals have a long history. The Book of Enlightenment" says that in the third year of Qin Linggong's reign (-423), the ancient sacrifice of Yandi was made in Wuyang. This is the earliest record of Yandi's sacrifice, but not the earliest. Sacrifices to Yandi began with the Yellow Emperor. According to the "History of the Road", the Yellow Emperor was the first to sacrifice to Yandi. The Book of Lu Shi (路史) says that the Yellow Emperor "worshiped Yandi in Chen". In the biography of Emperor Xuanyuan, it is also said that the Yellow Emperor "made a lower sacrifice to the Yan Di."

Before the Yellow Emperor came down, the successive generations have been increasing the number of things, worship has increased. In the Tongdian, Yu Shun sacrificed to the five emperors in the five mansions. Zhou dynasty summer line "suburban sacrifice", quarter of autumn "enjoy the Hall of Fame", build the month of summer "summer" (drought), the end of the year "礻昔 先啬 The end of the year, "礻昔 先啬", and the beginning of spring, "耕帝籍", were all dedicated to the five emperors. They were all dedicated to the five emperors, or to Shennong in particular. The Qin dynasty honored the "four ancient sacrifices" of the gods, with Yandi as the Red Emperor. At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the Five Ancestral Sacrifices were dedicated to Yandi, the Southern Emperor, and the Nine Heavens were dedicated to Yandi, the Southern Emperor. In Jin, the old system was followed, and the five emperors were worshipped in the suburbs. "After the Zhou Charter more according to the Zhou system, the first month of the upper Xin Hao Tian God in the round hill, the first Yan Di Shen Nong's with the five emperors, astronomy and from the sacrifice". At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the winter solstice of every year was set to sacrifice to the round hill, with the Red Emperor with the five gods. Tang Tianbao six years (747) system, "the three emperors set up a temple, the five emperors set up a temple, the Secretary to the time of the sacrifice". After the Tang and Song dynasties, the Yan Di Shen Nong's sacrifice is wider and more influential. However, most of these sacrifices were performed at the seat of the center of the king's power.

The sacrifice of the mausoleum, I do not know from when. The General Dictionary says: "Three generations ago, there was no tomb sacrifice, to the Qin Dynasty, began to start the bedding on the side of the tomb. Han because of the Qin on the mausoleum have garden bedding, so called bedding mausoleum". The Records of the Grand Historian? The book of Ch'an" cloud: Yuan Feng yuan year (-110) Han Wu Di northern tour of Shuo Fang, "sacrifice Huang Di mound bridge mountain", but said the tomb sacrifice, did not say that there is a garden bedding. Accordingly, the mausoleum of the sacrifice, when the Han Dynasty after the event.

Yandi's mausoleum is located in the south, far from the center of kingship, but the mausoleum of the sacrifice, but not later than the Han Dynasty. The road history? After the record" contains: Yan Di Shennong's "buried Changsha tea township of the end, is said to tea mausoleum, the so-called tomb of the son of God, ("County and State" cloud, Yan Di Shennong's buried Changsha, Changsha of the end of the ...... this county has a Miles Sand Shrine, so that is said to be Changsha. Century" cloud, Shennong buried Chaling. The Hengtu Jing" cloud, tea mausoleum, the so-called valley raw tea tea also. (There are mausoleum names, all to the tomb of the ancient emperor ......). There is a Tang Taste ancestral shrine (Tang Dynasty old records). Taizu Fu Yun dream sense see the emperor, so Chijie Xiong Xiong seek, get the south, I am the appearance of the sacrifice, the time order Long three offerings (temple in Kangle Township deer original reservoir on the Pei, Qiande five years built ......)".

Yandi Mausoleum location, ancient belonging to Jing Chu, Han Changsha County, Changsha State for 180 years. Some studies believe that Changsha because of the name of the "Miles Sand Shrine", is the ancestral temple of Yandi, which is yet to be proved. However, it is credible that in the fifth year of Emperor Gaozu of Han Dynasty (-202), the county was named after the mausoleum, and Chaling County was set up (Yanling County belonged to Chaling in ancient times). Road history? After this passage is clear: in Yan Ling County Yan Di Shennong, ancient mausoleum, Han has a sacrifice, Tang worship, Song repair temple.

Song Dynasty, the Yandi Mausoleum of the sacrifice has become a system, the Yuan Dynasty did not stop, the Ming and Qing Dynasties more frequent. Existing sacrificial text can be found in the "Imperial Sacrifice", 13 times in the Ming Dynasty, 39 times in the Qing Dynasty.

Republic of China period, the county government has spring and fall festival or at the request of the county people, held sacrifice to avoid disasters and pray for blessings. In October 1940, the Hunan Provincial Government offered the mausoleum once. Since then, due to a variety of reasons, interrupted for more than 40 years. 1986, Yandi Mausoleum restoration. 1993, the Hunan Provincial People's Government public worship Yandi Mausoleum. Now it has formed the pattern of public festival by the province and the city on Chung Yeung Festival, and public festival by the county on Ching Ming Festival. Since 1986, the Yandi Mausoleum held more than 60 large-scale ceremonial activities, come to the ancestral visit to the mausoleum at home and abroad more than 3 million people.

As for the folk festival, it has a long history, a wide range of regions, and a variety of forms. The time of the festival varies with local customs. In the south, there is the Spring Festival from the wax sacrifice to pray for blessings; Qingming, winter solstice tomb sweeping and ancestor worship; April 26th of the lunar calendar, the birth anniversary of the festival; the new grain on the first "taste of the new" of the festival; in the event of natural disasters such as the sacrifice of the sacrifice of the disaster.

Why does an ancient ancestor and a secluded mausoleum have such a great appeal?

The "Book of Rites? The Law of Sacrifice" Yun: "The saintly king's system of sacrifice is also, the law is applied to the people is sacrificed, with death and diligence is sacrificed, with labor to set the country is sacrificed, can defend against the big field of fresh air is sacrificed, can defend against the big trouble is sacrificed." The general idea of this passage is that the ancient principle of formulating sacrificial rites was that only those who had made contributions to the country and the people could enjoy the sacrifices. In addition to "honoring the achievements", the sacrifices to Yandi Shennong had a deeper meaning, depending on the times and cultural images.

(1) As one of the five emperors.

The Rites of the Zhou, written in the early Eastern Zhou Dynasty, said that the Five Emperors were sacrificed and that the Five Emperors were honored in the four suburbs of the city, but did not say what they were. The Historical Records? According to the Book of Enfeoffment, Duke Xiang of Qin made the Western Ancestral Sacrifice to honor the White Emperor, Duke Xuan of Qin made the Secret Ancestral Sacrifice to honor the Green Emperor, Duke Ling of Qin made the Upper Ancestral Sacrifice to honor the Yellow Emperor, and the Lower Ancestral Sacrifice to honor the Yan Emperor. In the second year of Emperor Gaozu of Han Dynasty (-205), "When he returned from the east to attack Xiang Ji, he entered the customs and asked, 'What emperors did God honor in the Qin Dynasty?' Answer: 'four emperors, there are white, green, yellow, red emperor's shrine.' Gaozu said: 'I heard that there are five emperors in heaven, but there are four, why?' No one knew what to say. Then Gaozu said: 'I know it, is waiting for me and five also.' He set up a shrine to the Black Emperor and named it the Northern sacrifice." The Tongdian also says: "Tang Yu sacrificed five emperors in five mansions; Cang said Lingfu, Red said Wenzu, Yellow said Shenji, White said Mingji, and Black said Yuanru." The above green (Cang) emperor, red (Yan) emperor, yellow emperor, white emperor, black emperor, this is the Ta Wei five essence, that is, the Ta Wei wall of five emperor's seat, is the star in the sky, also known as the five heavenly emperor. Spring and Autumn and Warring States period, the prevalence of "five elements", in the ceremony, often with "five emperors" that is, five emperors on earth, with the five heavenly emperors, the formation of five emperors series and its sacrificial system, in this system, Yandi for one of the five emperors, with the red emperor, the southern emperor, or the summer gods. In this system, Yandi was one of the five emperors, and he was also worshiped as the Red Emperor, Southern Emperor or Summer God. At the end of the Warring States period and during the Qin and Han Dynasties, the "five virtues of the end and the beginning" were attached to the change of dynasties, and the five emperors were worshipped as symbols of the cycle of dynastic change. Yandi had the virtue of fire, which was used to carry on the wood, the position of the south, the main summer, and the red.

The five emperors are sacrificed to each other, and in addition to the five ancient sacrificial rites, there are also the Tianxian (suburb of Heaven), the Daxingmingtang (great enjoyment), and the summer sacrifice. The largest and highest standard of the festival is the Peking Heavenly Sacrifice. The so-called "Cultivation of Heaven" is to set up an altar in the countryside to sacrifice to heaven. The Book of Rites? Rites and Instruments" said, "The emperor is in the suburbs, and the respect is the most important thing." Tongdian Yun: "Zhou system, the king must be five times to meet the gas, in order to show that people follow the way of heaven, from time to time to train the righteousness of people. Therefore, the month order in the four Li day and quarter of summer soil de king day, each welcome its king gas God in its suburbs, its matching sacrifice to five people emperor ...... summer to Yandi". The Book of Rites? The month order" contains: the month of Meng Xia, "its emperor Yan Di, its God Zhu Rong", "the day of summer, the son of heaven pro Shuai San Gong, nine ministers, doctor to welcome summer in the southern suburbs". At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the Qin system was followed, with the ancient sacrifice of Ganquan Tai ancient sacrifice and the five ancient sacrifices of Yong. In the second year of Emperor Guangwu's Jianwu reign (26), seven miles south of Luoyang, eight ahs of the round mound was made, in the center of the heavy altar, where the heavenly status is; the outer altar west, on the five emperors' position, the Red Emperor's position in the C Si. Tang Wude early, fixed order every year, the winter solstice suburb of heaven, the sacrifice of Haotian God in the round hill, with five God. After the Song Dynasty, the five emperors in the ritual of the suburb of the sky is slowly disappearing.

Suburbs of heaven for the "great report of heaven and the main day", "sacrificed in the Hall of Fame, so that the feudal lords of filial piety is taught" ("Rituals"). Sacrifice"). In these sacrificial ceremonies, the five human emperors are matched with the sky, which expresses the ancient people's reverence for heaven and earth, gods only, and ancestors and the feeling of repayment.

(2) as the ancestor of the farming civilization

Yandi Shennong's Leiyu, laid the foundation for agriculture and industry; tasted a hundred herbs, and opened the first medicine, the ancestor of agriculture and the ancestor of the medicine of the status of the ancient times is not easy. The status of the ancestor of agriculture and medicine is not easy to come by. It is a special sacrifice for him to enjoy the first agriculture and to worship the first medicine.

"Da 礻昔" is also known as wax (wax) sacrifice. The Book of Rites? Suburban Special Adoption" Yun, "The Son of Heaven's big wax eight. The Ijian clan started for the wax. Wax is also, Suo also; the year 12 months, and gathered all things and Suo entertained also. The sacrifice of the wax is also the Lord's first miserliness and the priest's miserliness, and the hundred gods are sacrificed in return for the miserliness." The Tongdian cloud: "the meaning of wax, since the generation of Iqi and its rituals. Ancient gentleman, make it must be rewarded, is also reported to the sacrifice of the field, and its god Shennong, the first for the field, so as to report."

Wax sacrifice is one of the most primitive sacrifices, starting from Shennong, but later became a sacrifice to himself, the "first stingy". It was first named Wax, then renamed Jia Ping in Xia, then renamed Qing Shi in Yin, and then renamed Da 礻昔 in Zhou. In the early Qin Dynasty, it was called 礻昔, and was later renamed 嘉平. In the Han Dynasty, the name was changed to 礻昔, and it was used until the Qing Dynasty.

Wax sacrifices, as a major ritual, were carried out in the following three generations. Although there have been some changes over the generations, the general rule has remained unchanged. The Book of Rites? The month order" cloud: the month of winter, "礻昔 先祖五祀，劳农以休息之". Kong Yingda cloud: "According to the miscellaneous records, Zigong view wax clouds, a country of people are as crazy. After the Han Book? Ceremonial Zhi" also cloud: "the month of winter, the star back to the end of the year, yin and yang to intersect, laborers and farmers enjoy wax". From this, the later wax rituals, in addition to maintaining the original wax rituals "first mean" in addition to the original meaning, there is also the meaning of the celebration of the harvest.

The Tongdian recorded the wax festival during the Tang Dynasty. The Emperor's 礻昔 (礻昔) on the day of 礻昔 (礻昔) was held in the southern suburb of the city. Before the festival, the emperor and his officials fasted. Three days before the ceremony, the Emperor and his officials fasted. Three days before the ceremony, the Emperor began to set up the musical instruments, ceremonial vessels, and the imperial seats. At five minutes before dawn on the day of the 礻昔, the seat of the gods was set up, and on the altar were placed one hundred and ninety deities, including Da Ming, Ye Ming, Shen Nong, Yi Jie, Hou Ji, and so on. The rituals are as follows: laying jade coins, hair and blood, laying jade and silk, setting up food, washing, and laying knighthoods as in the Yuqiu ritual. Then, the blessing is read, music is played, and the ritual of kneeling and worship is performed. Sacrifice to the sun, the moon god Zhu plate, paper and silk to fire; Sacrifice to Shennong Zhu plate, paper and silk is buried in the earth. The Shennong's ceremony reads: "On the first day of the second ( ) month of the year ( ), the son of Emperor Shenwu, the heir to the throne of Kaiyuan, has sent me (name) to announce to the Emperor Shennong that he has started the planting and planting process, and that the time has been good, and that the gods have rewarded his work by offering the Emperor the common common good in the form of a coin or ?qi. I am honored to present you with this gift."

The Book of Rites? The Rites of Passage reads that Confucius "sighed with emotion" after participating in the wax ritual. He said to Yan Yan, who was next to him, "The Great Way is traveling with the Ying of the three generations, and Qiu has not yet caught up with it, but he has the will to do so. The line of the Great Way is also, the world for the public, selecting the virtuous and capable, speak of faith and cultivate harmony." "Kong said he did not catch up with the Shennong era, but he had seen the book of the will, so after observing the wax festival, he expressed his admiration for the Shennong era, in which "the world is the commonwealth," which shows how profound the influence of the wax festival is.

Wax festival in the Qing dynasty Qianlong ten years to stop. "The early Qing dynasty held outside the customs, the temple was built in the south gate, set up an altar in spring and fall to look forward to the festival. Shizu entered the Customs, but also the heel of the line." (《清史稿? Rites of passage"). Although the wax festival stopped, but still can feel from the traditional "Spring Festival" in the "labor farmers enjoy 礻昔" of the farming culture of the remaining charm.

The "by the field", like the wax festival, has been practiced since ancient times. In the Jinwen of the Shang Dynasty, there was the word "藉田", which means "to make use of the field". The poem "The Book of Songs? Zhou Song? The poem "Zai mow" is the music of spring plowing and making use of the fields. Wax sacrifices were performed at the end of the year to "report the success of the final achievement", while the "by field" was performed at the beginning of the spring to pray for a good harvest in the year.

The emperors and kings attached great importance to by fields, "Rituals? The month of spring, "the month of Meng," "the son of heaven is the first day to pray for grain in God. Is to choose the first day of the month, the son of God personally carry Lei 耜, the wording of the Sam Po in between the Royal. The three dukes, the nine ministers, the vassals, and the great doctors, plowed the land of the emperor. The Son of Heaven made three pushes, the three dukes five pushes, and the ministers and vassals nine pushes". After the Han book? Ceremonial Zhi" said: "the first month of plowing, daytime leakage on the water at the beginning of the Na, the deacon told the ancestral ancestral ancestral first farmers have enjoyed. Plowing time, the Division please act, on the plowing position, the son of heaven, the three princes, the nine ministers, the vassals, the hundred officials in order to plowing". Liu Zhao note cited He Zhuan "by the field instrument" cloud, "Han plow day, to Taijuan sacrificed to the first farmers in the field". Also cited in the old Han Yi Yun, "the beginning of the spring east plowing in the by field, the official ancestral ancestral Xiannong, Xiannong that is Shennong Yandi also". The General Dictionary" cloud, "Northern Qi by the Imperial City in the southeast of a thousand acres," "as ancestral altar in the Stronghold South Pathway West, wide round thirty feet, four ah three puta, four doors", "every first month of the year on the Xin after the Ji Ohio, ancestral ancestral ancestral Shennong's in the altar, not with the end of the sacrifice, offering finished pro-plowing". "the great Tang zhen guan three years (629) on the 21st day of the first month, Taizong personally sacrificed to the first farmer, by means of a thousand acres of land". Song History" also contains, Taizong Yongxi five years (988) in the first month of b亥, personally entertained Shennong on the altar, after Jigen with. After the ceremony, the second at the plowing with the position, the three pushed the ceremony. "Yuan Zhidai, Zhizheng are ordered to sacrifice the first farmer, Zhuwen said: 'the emperor respectfully sent a certain official notify the emperor Shennong's'. This Shennong's sacrifice in the by field also" ("Yanling Zhi"). Ming and Qing dynasties are plowing with the ceremony. Ming Taizu, Kangxi, Emperor Qianlong, are pro-plowing with the field. Yongzheng time, but also the implementation of the gift of by the field to the state, county, and has been inherited until the end of the Qing Dynasty. In Cambodia, there is still the "Royal Plowing Festival", where the Prince plows the "Holy Field". The rituals of plowing include the ceremony of plowing (enjoying Shennong Yandi) and plowing by the Son of Heaven. Its long history, wide scope and deep influence are unparalleled. This is in the agriculture-based China, successive dynasties of kings to take advantage of Shennong Yandi's appeal, pro-excitement of farming, farming and consolidation of a positive significance of the initiative.

"Sacrifice the first doctor" is also a special sacrifice to Shennong Yan Di. China's traditional medicine that "medicine and food have the same origin". Yandi Shennong's in the development of farming agriculture at the same time, the discovery of medicine. The Century of Emperors and Kings" recorded that Emperor Shennong "tasted all kinds of herbs, publicized medical diseases, and saved the lives of the prematurely injured". The historical record to supplement the three kings of the book also has: "to ochre whip whip grass, began to taste all kinds of grass, began to medicine," contained, so the respect for the Yan Emperor Shennong's "first doctor".

Yandi Shennong's contribution to medicine was first seen in the Shiben, followed by the Han Dynasty's Xinyao, Huainanzi and other writings. China's first pharmacological monograph, written in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, summarized Yandi Shennong's oral knowledge of medicine and was named Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica, attributing the discovery of medicine to Yandi Shennong.

The ritual of "first doctor" began in the Yuan Dynasty. The history of Yuan Dynasty? Sacrifice Zhi" cloud, "the first year of Yuanzhen, the first order of the county and country through the sacrifice of the Three Kings ...... years of age, spring and fall acting in two seasons, to the physician in charge of the". Chun Ming Meng Yu Records" said, "to have Yuan, from the state capital to the county, all set up three emperor temple, in the medical practitioner's learning, such as Xuan Sheng Shi Dianli.

Since the Ming Dynasty, "especially in the medical profession, the relationship between people's livelihood is the most important, that is, the Imperial Hospital Temple, in order to worship the Three Emperors". The Qing Dynasty also set up in the hospital in the Three Emperor Hall, worship of the first doctor. The Qing historical manuscripts? Li Zhi" cloud, "the first doctor, the first along the old Ming, to sacrifice the Imperial Hospital Jinghui Temple, years in the middle of spring on the A, the official line ceremony. Sacrifice three emperors, in Fuxi, left Shennong, right Yellow Emperor", "the Ministry of Rites, the Secretary to undertake the sacrifice, the two hiatus dedication, the Ethernet hospital officials, rituals with three kneeling, nine worship, three dedication". With the development of modern medicine, the ritual of "sacrificing to the first doctor" has disappeared on the mainland, but the reputation of "Shen Nong tasted a hundred herbs" is still widely spread.

(3) as the ancestor of the Chinese nation

The Chinese nation, since ancient times, will be the children of Yan Huang, honoring the two emperors of Yan Huang as the **** ancestor. Therefore, the Spring and Autumn Zuo Qiu Ming wrote the "national language", there is "the deceased is not a favorite, are all after the Yellow Emperor" said.

The ancient Huaxia race, which was formed by the fusion of many clans, began in the era of Emperor Yan Di. By the time of the Yellow Emperor, further consolidation and growth, pre-Qin has basically taken shape. Since then, and after several ethnic fusion, to the Han, Tang, to the ancient Huaxia as the main body, the joint growth and expansion of the various ethnic groups in the Chinese land, and gradually bred to multi-ethnicity as the main content, to the diversity of the one culture as the main feature, beyond the narrow relationship between the blood of the Chinese nation such a **** the same entity. From the sense of the origin and unity of the oldest Chinese nation and the long history of Chinese culture, people still regard Yan Huang as the founder of the Chinese nation, and as the original founder of the Chinese nation, the symbol of the origin and unity, and the symbol of cohesion and identity of the ****same sign. Thus, the Yandi Shennong's sacrifice, and has a new meaning.

This implication, in the rituals manifested in the rituals, by emphasizing the sacrifice of heaven and earth, tend to pay more attention to the ancestor of the rituals, and with the growth of the Chinese nation and Pi Xian. To the Song Dynasty, after the rise and fall of Han and Tang, further deepening. Thus, in the early Song dynasty, when the country was first settled, the first Qian De, "Li Fang, Lu Duo Xun, etc. were ordered to write monuments to the emperors and kings of the past dynasties, and Sun Chongwang, the imperial edict of Hanlin, etc. were dispatched to the temples to write on the stone". "edict three years a enjoyment", "create sacrificial vessels, sent to the mausoleum temple", "each set the mausoleum five", and send officials to the mausoleum to sacrifice. Ming Taizu also in the beginning of the Qianfu grasp of Hongwu three years, that is, "visit the mausoleum of the former emperors", "since Fuxi, Shennong, each system of gun coronet, the letter of incense coins, sent the Secretary of the Prime Minister Tao Yi, etc. to fix the sacrificial rites, the pro forma wishes to send, each mausoleum to twenty-five taels of platinum, with the sacrifice of the text of the repair of the mausoleum temple" ("Yan Ling Zhi"). Yanling Zhi"). In the Ming Dynasty, the "Royal Sacrifice", almost all have prayed for the country's prosperity and people's peace.

It should be mentioned that, in history, active in the ancient Xia outside the region of some of the nationalities, has also established a number of sectarian dynasties, but they still trace the two emperors as their ancestors. Northern Zhou, built by Yuwen Tai, a descendant of Xianbei. The Book of Zhou. Emperor Chronicle": "Emperor Taizu Wen ...... His ancestors came from the Shennong clan of the Yan Emperor." After his son, Emperor Xiaomin, assumed the throne, his edict stated, "I am originally from Shennong." Liao was founded by the Khitan tribe, and in the Yuan Dynasty, Tetu wrote the History of Liao, stating directly, "The ancestor of Liao came from the Yan Emperor, and the world was the country of Audit Ji." The Yuan and Qing dynasties, which originated in ancient China, quickly recognized and integrated into Chinese culture after they entered the Central Plains. Yuan dynasty in addition to follow the ancient system, the "suburb of heaven" ritual, "worship YueDu" in addition, attaches great importance to the sacrifice of the first farmers, plow by the field, by the three emperor, worship the first doctor. There is a generation of Yuan, has not been a little slack. To the Yuan years, the university scholar A Sha not flower had been ordered to visit the mausoleum to sacrifice. After the Qing Dynasty, also in the Shunzhi eight years (1651), the emperor's mausoleum sacrifice: "Ling Shennong", and Qin sent readers Bai Yunqian to the mausoleum sacrifice. Since then, all state-owned major events, are at the mausoleum sacrifice. In the surviving 37 "Royal Sacrifice", 11 of the reign, pro-government, resumption of storage, 6 of the Jingbian, military service, and 1 of the disaster pray for blessings.

Taiwan, the mother of ancient Chinese culture across the sea, the worship of Shennong Yan Di also has a long history. Shennong faith in Taiwan, at least since the Ming Dynasty. To date, Taiwan to Yandi Shennong's temple as the god of the Lord amounted to more than one hundred and thirty, respectively, honored as Yandi, Yan Wang, the first emperor of the five valleys, the five valleys of the master, Shennong Da Di, Xiannong, the first emperor of the master, the king of the medicine Da Di, and so on. The ancestors who left their homes to reclaim Taiwan, in addition to worshipping Yandi Shennong as the god of agriculture and medicine, and praying for a good harvest, more often than not, "counting the blessings of the ancestors" and not forgetting their roots.

In modern times, the Chinese children after the struggle for survival, seek unity, seek development, figure rich and strong long and arduous struggle, respect for the ancestors and patriotism has become more and more intense. So there is the eve of the Xinhai Revolution, members of the League of Nations in front of the mausoleum of the two emperors of Yan Huang; there is during the war, Zhou Enlai, vice chairman of the central **** the brush: "China after all belongs to the Yanhuang";

Hunan Province, commander of the Ninth Theater of Xue Yue, the heart of the gallantry: "Yue lotus Yandi Yuze, defending Xiangtu, drinking water does not think of the source, how different from forgetting the ancestor?" So there is also the 1980s, by the domestic and foreign Yanhuang children *** with the initiation, the community **** Xiangxiang, the Yandi Mausoleum refurbishment; dozens of Yandi Shennong Temple in Taiwan, come to Yandi Mausoleum for Yandi Shennong ceremonial statue enlightenment; there are provincial and municipal people's governments and domestic and foreign community groups on the Yandi Mausoleum of the many grand ceremonies; "Chinese Yandi Holy Fire ", Yandi Mausoleum "Yandi sacred fire" to take the kindling ceremony.

If the "Five Emperors' Sacrifice" is to be cautious of the end of the day, the fear of heaven and earth, nature, ancestor and reward, and the sacrifice of "the first stingy", "the first doctor" is to report back to the beginning, the agricultural culture of reverence and commitment. The first ancestor of the sacrifice is to honor the ancestor and patriotism, and to express the strong desire for national unity and prosperity of the nation.

Ancient rituals, emphasizing "born in the heart". The book of rituals? Sacrifice Law" cloud: "the sacrifice, not from the outside to also, from the heart also born in the heart. The heart is fearful, and is dedicated to the ritual, so the wise man can do the meaning of the sacrifice." The number of sacrifices should not be annoying: "Sacrifices do not want to be counted; counting is annoying, and annoying is disrespectful. Sacrifice does not want to be sparse; sparseness is negligence, and negligence is forgetfulness" (Li Ji? Sacrifice. As for the rituals, they have been adopted through the ages, or they have been considered according to the time, place and event.

Yandi mausoleum ceremony, Song began to have a fixed routine. Rites" contains: "Qiande early edict: successive emperors, the state always enjoy, written in the A order, can be lifted and line. ...... According to the ancestral order, the former emperors, every three years a enjoyment, in the month of mid-spring, the livestock with too much jail, the sacrificial officials to the state governor, there is a story is on the Zuo act." Also set "Tai Hao, Yandi below ...... years of spring and fall sacrifices to Taijuan". Song Kaibao five years, easy to five years a sacrifice. To the mausoleum to sacrifice, there is no routine, roughly state-owned major events before sending officials to sacrifice. Such as Chunxi fourteen years (1187) in June, the world drought, Song Xiaozong edict "Hengzhou repair Yandi Mausoleum Temple" ("Song Shi? (Song Shi? Ben Ji), and sent officials to sacrifice, sacrifice disaster prayers.

Ming early agreed, "every three years out of the blessing, incense and silk, pass the system to send the Taishang Temple music and dance Shengzai to the order of the Secretary for the sacrifice. Also ordered the official to spring and fall in the first half of the month to choose a day to sacrifice. Also set every three years to sacrifice the year of the temple, then stop the Chintianshan Temple Festival." Provides that "to send an envoy to the mausoleum to offer sacrifices, mausoleum set up a monument, publication of the period of sacrifice and the number of animals and silk, so that where the Secretary to keep it."

The Qing Dynasty rituals, although due to the old system of the Ming Dynasty, but significantly more heavy. The Qing Historical Manuscripts: "Where the tour visits, are sacrificed mausoleums and temples, there are big celebrations, the sacrifice is also like this." Such as the twenty-first year of the Kangxi Emperor (1682) after the leveling of the Yunnan rebellion, "sent officials to the sacrifice, issued by the book, incense, silk, to the yellow umbrellas, the Royal Battle, the Dragon Banner each of the two, where into the martial arts, all sacrifices such as the ceremony". Sent officials to the mausoleum to sacrifice the rituals are very complicated. According to the "Yan Ling Zhi", before the festival, by the Chintian Supervisor to choose the appropriate day of sacrifice, Hanlin Academy to write the proposed sacrifice, the temple, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of households, respectively, to prepare offerings, ceremonies. By the Ministry of Li listed below the minister, more than four ranks of the list of officials, the title please Chin sent to the sacrificial officials. To the sacrificial officials before the day of fasting, the period to the Ministry of Rites, respectfully take the offerings, offerings, ceremonies, such as the emperor personally read, there are other procedures. After the sacrificial official to the place, the officials kneeling to welcome, and respectfully Imperial sacrificial text, incense and silk placed in the Dragon Pavilion, for the public hall, the officials line three kneeling and nine kowtow rite. Three days before the festival, the priests fasting, local officials prepared drums and music, ceremonial rites, a kneeling and three kowtow rituals, to welcome the Dragon Pavilion at the festival. One day before the sacrifice, the official who told the priest to inspect the offerings and sacrificial vessels, the local officials to monitor the slaughter of animals, and then rate the ritual students to practice the rituals. Four drums on the day of the festival, set up the sacrificial vessels, offerings, animals and chopsticks, musicians, and then set up outside the temple gate to wait. Five drums, told the officials accompanying the sacrifice of the court dress, by the East Halberd Gate into the temple. To beat the drum three strict, sue, accompanied by the sacrificial officials in place. Ceremony for the front and back of the three kneeling and nine kowtow rites, in the middle of the three offerings, read the text of the sacrifice. Welcome the god, the first offering, the second offering, the final offering, the blessing, the withdrawal of food, send the god, etc. are singing music. There are thirty-nine deacons. Time sacrifice, that is, in the spring and fall of each year, on the auspicious day of the middle month, "by the guardian of the earth positive seal officer a member of the sacrifice, the deacon to the rites of life." "furnishings and ceremonial rituals and sent officials to sacrifice the same", "but no music" ("Yanling Zhi"). Rituals, issued by the Ministry of Rites. Qianlong years, the Yandi mausoleum big sacrifice "the silver 21 two", "spring and autumn two original amount of silver 20 two" ("Yannling Zhi").

Modern ceremony, is held in front of the mausoleum. Display for the grain, beans (ninety-nine kinds), dry, fresh fruit (ninety-nine kinds), fresh herbs (ninety-nine kinds). The officiating, accompanying and participating personnel each wear a corsage logo, guided by an honor guard, walking to the Hajj Square. At that time, gongs and drums, horns and horns, dragons and lions dancing, dozens of oboe playing ancient music "Great Open Door", the Noon Gate slowly opened. The procession is guided by the flower basket, in order from the noon gate, to the salute pavilion incense, three bows, and then stood in wait. At 9:09, the ceremony began. The main rituals are:

1) the beginning of the ceremony;

2) the officiating priests in place;

3) beat the drums nine passes, sounding nine gold;

4) cannon, music (band playing ancient music);

5) offerings (grains, three animals, fresh fruits)

6 offerings of baskets;

7) to the ancestor of the Chinese nation Yan Di Shennong (statues) (statue) three bows;

(8) the officiating priest reads the sacrificial text;

(9) the burning of the book of silk;

(10) the sounding of cannons, music, ceremony.

After the ceremony, visit the mausoleum.

Ceremonies are not fixed and can be added or subtracted as appropriate. Additions such as the introduction of groups or key personnel to participate in the ceremony, read the message of congratulations on the event, acceptance of donations, and so on. Before and after the ceremony, folkloric performances are held in the square. Major rituals are published monuments to commemorate the event, and after visiting the mausoleum held a ceremony to unveil the monument.

Taiwan on the Yandi Shennong's ritual activities, mainly folk, mostly in the lunar calendar April 26 Shennong the birthday of the Emperor. Mr. Chung Tsung-hsien has written an article on the first three cities in Taipei County, Taipei County, the first of the Palace in 1992 festival: "April 25 morning, by the good faith to bring together more than a hundred of drums car, north and south tube car, car drums, such as convoys, from the first of the Palace to welcome the God departed, touring around the city, the public in front of their own homes to set up the incense and animal gifts offerings, when the procession passes by, hands holding incense and pay homage to the remote, and Firecrackers; is the day, the people in accordance with the exception of braised feasts, diners from all over the endless stream, a lively, traffic for the blockade." As a result of the pomp and circumstance, "the Mie Citizens' Representative Council was aborted due to the insufficient number of representatives participating in the activities to welcome the gods." "April 26, 10:00 a.m., for the birth of the ceremony officially began, by the mayor Chen Jingjun personally officiated, according to the ancient rituals of the three offerings, the local people are each in their own way, compared with the previous day's pomp and circumstance, seemingly solemn and dignified."

The ceremonies held by Taiwanese associations at the Yandi Mausoleum are simpler. In 1990, the Taipei City Jiang clan association mausoleum ceremony as follows: (1) the beginning of the ritual ceremonies; (2) the sounding of artillery; (3) the officiating priest in place; (4) accompanied by the officiating priest in place; (5) all standing; (6) incense; (7) flowers; (8) offering; (9) read the text of the sacrifice; (10) to the ancestor of the Yandi Shennong's statue of respect; (11) their own incense worship; (12) respectfully burned the text of the sacrifice of paper and silk; (13) the gift of a commemorative plaque; (14) sounding of the artillery; (15) the ritual is complete. Visit the mausoleum after the ceremony. In recent years, Taiwan's mausoleum groups are increasing, with different ceremonies. Some with uniform clothing (costume); some with Yandi statue, in the Yandi Mausoleum Hall "light"; some still perform three kneeling nine kowtow, very pious.

Today's Yandi Mausoleum, the root of the Chinese ancestor and the origin of Chinese culture, has become our nation's eternal emotional ties, the immortal spirit of the Holy Mountain. She crossed the power of time and space, pulling the children of China, across oceans and seas, over the mountains, step into the middle of it. To visit the mausoleum ancestor worship, the implied cultural meaning and show the cultural tension, is the precipitation and sublimation of five thousand years of culture.

A furnace incense, curling endlessly, burning thousands of years, praying for the "people rich and strong". This is the long-cherished wish of the nation, is the heart of hundreds of millions of descendants.