Huichang Laigong Temple Fair

Jiangxi
🎧  Listen to Introduction

Huichang Laigong Temple Fair (the fourth provincial level) Huichang County Cuizhu Temple Laigong (commonly known as "Xianyinggong") Temple Fair (commonly known as "Bodhisattva going out to the street") is a folk activity that has been passed down for more than 500 years. Laigong (Xianyinggong) is widely spread among the people of Huichang, starting from the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty. According to the old records: "Jin Bao Sheren, named Lei, was a student of the county school. The construction of Laishen Temple began in Lei." During the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty, Wang Yangming, the governor of Nangan, prayed for rain in Huichang Cuizhu Temple (i.e. Laishen Temple) and it was answered, and since then it has become famous. During the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty, Laishen was supported as the god who successfully resisted the invasion of Huichang by the Taiping Heavenly Army. During the Tongzhi period, the people of Huichang petitioned the court to confer a title on Laishen. In December of the third year of Tongzhi (1863), Emperor Muzong approved: In order to help the gods, the Laigong Temple in Huichang County, Jiangxi Province was given a title, "Xianying". Since then, Lai Gong, also known as "Xian Ying Gong", has become a local god with a high reputation in the border areas of Jiangxi, Fujian and Guangdong. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the sixth day of the seventh lunar month in Huichang City and Countryside has been designated as the celebration of Lai Gong's birthday, and a grand temple fair has been held for four days (from the fifth to the eighth day of the seventh lunar month). The theme of the temple fair is to worship and entertain gods, and the main activities include: worshiping gods and praying for blessings, parading gods, entertaining gods, tasting Hakka snacks, etc. The Lai Gong Temple Fair in Cuizhu Temple, Huichang County has a long history and is widely spread. A large number of people participate in the activities, which meets people's religious needs. Under the promotion of the ruling class and local gentry of successive dynasties, temple fair activities were used to integrate and unite different social groups to form a harmonious social order, providing a historical reference for contemporary social management, and it has high historical and cultural value and academic research value. The temple fairs' entertainment activities include walking on a mountain of knives, walking down a sea of fire, crossing fire chains, burning flower stands, and raising horses' feet. Folk activities such as praying for blessings, thanking for blessings, holding festivals, offering sacrifices and praying, opening the five elements, and parading gods (Bodhisattva going out on the street) all have high folk inheritance value and academic research value. The major works of Cuizhu Temple, such as Bodhisattvas, parading god sedan chairs, magic knives, Taoist instruments, scriptures, etc., all have high cultural relic value and academic research value.

Intangible culture related to the heritage

China tourist attractions related to the heritage