The Temple of the Goddess Yonglie is located in Guzhai Village, Piyang Town. Guzhai Village has a history of more than 400 years. The villagers here are simple and kind, and they are very pious to the Goddess Yonglie. In their hearts, the Goddess Yonglie has always been the embodiment of harmony, and has a great influence in the 50-kilometer radius. In Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and neighboring cities and counties such as Puning, Huilai, Lufeng and Luhe, nearly 1.5 million people worship the Goddess Yonglie. It has been included in the second batch of intangible cultural heritage list of Shanwei City. The original name of the Goddess Yonglie was Xie Er. She was born in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Her brother was Xie Yi and her grandfather was Xie Zhaosong. Xie Er loved martial arts since childhood and had a strong sense of justice. At the age of 15, he had already learned martial arts. In order to resist the dark rule of the feudal dynasty, she gathered her family and led the villagers to rise up in rebellion. Later, she was captured and executed because of her defeat. Before her execution, she hated Marshal Li for oppressing the people and being cruel and unjust, so she came up with a plan and said, "Marshal Li has a rebellious mind and will rebel in the future. Let's see who can conquer him in the future?" So the emperor took the opportunity to execute her and Marshal Li together. But Xie Er's body stood upright. The emperor sighed and said, "This woman is heroic and brave, a true immortal!" Then a red light flashed, and Xie Er's body and head merged and slowly ascended to heaven. The emperor immediately named Xie Er as Yonglie Niangniang and ordered to build a temple to commemorate her. During the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, there was a flood, and the river water in front of and behind Guzhai Village rose sharply. At this time, an incense burner floated up, and it did not float away with the water for three days and three nights. As a result, the water did not rise again, and the people and livestock and property of the whole village were not damaged at all. The villagers were very surprised and thought that it was the incense burner showing its spirit, so they fished it out. They saw the name "Yonglie Xie Shengxianniang" engraved on the incense burner, so they placed it in a thatched house facing the north gate for worship. There are 18 surnames in Guzhai Village, of which Xie is the most common. People with the surname Xie call her "Gu Po Tai". The whole village built a temple for her. At the same time, the elders of the village reported the matter to the main hall of Haifeng. The county magistrate heard the news and personally investigated. After confirming that the matter was true, he reported it to the court and named the village Niangzizhai. According to the "List of Prime Ministers of All Time" of the Yonglie Niangniang Temple Fair in Guzhai, since the first temple fair was held in the 40th year of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, the Yonglie Niangniang Temple Fair has been held on the eighth day of the second lunar month every year. A large-scale sacrificial activity is also held every ten years. On this day, Taoist priests are invited to hold a sacrificial ceremony, and then the golden body of Yonglie Niangniang is carried to the shrine opposite the stage for worship. Every year, there are tens of thousands of pilgrims who come to the Yonglie Niangniang Temple to attend the temple fair and worship, and the scene is very spectacular. Among them, the temple fair in 2007 was the most prosperous, lasting for 7 days. The participants included compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and 100,000 villagers from neighboring cities and counties. Every time the temple fair parade team goes out, the gong is sounded to clear the way, and the plaques, lanterns, etc. are carried in order. The statue of the goddess Yonglie is accompanied by Taoist priests, elders and believers, and various folk art performance teams sing and dance. The scene is extremely lively. People light incense and candles on the incense table, place tea and fruits, welcome the arrival of the goddess Yonglie, and pray for the goddess to bless the weather and peace in the country. Among the worshippers, there are believers from neighboring cities and counties, as well as compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. They are extremely pious to the goddess Yonglie, and worship her in the form of "chao meat incense" (hanging a small incense burner under the skin of the elbow with a line). The parade starts at 8 am and ends at 12 noon. At every temple fair, there are always good plays on the stage, which are performed all day and all night. In the temple square, dragon playing, lion dancing, bamboo horse racing and other performances are performed. The temple fair has become a folk art performance. During the temple fair, merchants gather and business is booming. Small vendors set up stalls on both sides of the temple square: incense, firecrackers, small sundries, cakes, fruits, etc., everything is available. Delicacies include Nantang fish balls, popcorn cakes, Puning noodles, Kuitan rice noodle rolls and cans, Chaozhou fried gold bricks, lean meat rolls, and Guzhai lychee wine. Snacks include tea soup, tofu brain, jelly, sugar melon, sugar cakes, pancakes, roasted sweet potatoes, plum strings, pickled carambolas, pineapples, etc. Children's toys include masks, wooden figures in ancient costume dramas, small cars, swords and spears, etc. There are many kinds and they are exquisitely made. In addition, there are also acts of carrying pavilions, walking on stilts, stringing lanterns, dancing lions, beating waist drums, dancing fan dances, and acting as eight demons. The plays include Tang Monk's Journey to the West, Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, Chenxiang Saves His Mother, Zhaojun Goes to the Frontier, and Civet Cat Substitutes for the Prince. During the temple fair, there are many ways to have fun. In the past, there were swings and seesaws. Now there are performances by song and dance troupes and circuses, as well as small amusement toys. As a traditional folk cultural activity, the Yonglie Niangniang Temple Fair has profound connotations and precious value. It has strong inheritance. Since the 40th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty, it has been passed down from generation to generation, and the incense has continued; it has a wide influence. Every ten years, the grand celebration has compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and good men and women from Puning, Huilai, Luhe and other counties and cities. There are a large number of people; there is a great sustenance. People from all over the country fast and bathe, and sustenance of the good wishes of praying for children; it has a strong educational nature. Since ancient times, local people have been inspired by the spirit of Yonglie Niangniang's sacrifice for the people, and they have lived in harmony and broad-mindedness. The Yonglie Niangniang Temple Fair also has extremely important folklore research value. It has a strong Hakka characteristic and is a folk activity for more than one million believers in Lufeng and neighboring counties and towns such as Luhe, Puning and Huilai. Studying the Yonglie Niangniang Temple Fair, a folk custom, has a certain reference value for studying the folk beliefs of the Hakka and Hokkien regions; it is also conducive to promoting social harmony. The Yonglie Niangniang Temple Fair promotes her spirit of sacrificing herself for the people. It inspires believers from all over the world to cherish the current prosperous and peaceful life; it also has maintenance value for overseas compatriots. Through temple fair activities, overseas Chinese are encouraged to strengthen their hometown feelings and contribute to the public welfare of their hometown. Source: "Lufeng Intangible Cultural Heritage"