Xiangshan Temple Fair

Fujian
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Xiangshanyan Temple is located 3 kilometers southeast of Xindian Town, Xiang'an District, on the left side of Hongjian Mountain Range. It was built in the Southern Song Dynasty and is a scenic spot for Qingshui Patriarch culture. The sixth day of the first lunar month every year is the birthday of Qingshui Patriarch. Xiangshanyan will hold an annual large-scale temple fair, Xiangshan Temple Fair. Many believers from Jinjiang, Nan'an, Taiwan, Kinmen and at home and abroad will make a special trip back to Xiangshanyan to pay homage and trace their roots. The Xiangshan Temple Fair custom in Xiang'an has been officially included in the intangible cultural heritage project of Xiamen City. It is said that during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song Dynasty, there was a severe drought in Fujian and Taiwan, and epidemics were prevalent, and people were living in dire straits. Qingshui Patriarch "practiced his skills in Jian, Jian, Ting, Zhang, and Quan, and his donations were prosperous" (Volume 9 of Anxi County Chronicles, Qianlong Edition of the Qing Dynasty), traveled to Zhang and Quan Prefectures, saved people from suffering, prayed for rain and disaster relief, and stayed in Xiangshanyan Temple in Xiang'an. When the Patriarch was stationed in Xiangshan Rock, many believers from Kinmen and Taiwan came specially to ask the Patriarch to eliminate disasters and cure diseases. Because the Patriarch responded to all requests, they respected the Patriarch. In order to commemorate Qingshui Patriarch, local people spontaneously held temple fairs on the sixth day of the first lunar month of the lunar calendar, which is the birthday of Qingshui Patriarch. It has been thousands of years since then. The Xiangshan Temple Fair lasted from the sixth day of the first lunar month to the ninth day of the first lunar month. The Xiangshan Temple Fair is not only a manifestation of the Minnan people's belief in Qingshui Patriarch, but also includes multiple life contents such as markets and leisure. The Xiangshan Temple Fair has a strong historical influence and colorful forms such as commodity trading, entertainment activities, snack evaluation, sightseeing, etc., which brings together a large number of people. People shop, watch, communicate, and negotiate here, and they get spiritual and material satisfaction. They are happy and peaceful. This has played a major role in promoting the development of the entire Xiang'an economy. Moreover, with the reform and opening up, cross-strait exchanges have become increasingly frequent. The believers of Qingshui Patriarch in Taiwan began to form groups to return to their hometowns to pay homage to their ancestors. As an important way to commemorate Qingshui Zushi, the Xiangshan Temple Fair naturally becomes an important bridge connecting the blood ties between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, acting as a messenger for Qingshui Zushi believers on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, greatly promoting the common belief in human and divine relationships between the two sides.

Intangible culture related to the heritage

China tourist attractions related to the heritage