Lifting the Dragon King
Lifting the Dragon King, also known as Lifting the Dragon King, is the most tragic and grand activity among all the rain-seeking activities of farmers. The Dragon King is the most revered and most unprovoked god in farmers' lives, and there is a Dragon King Temple in almost every village. Although there is a Dragon King Temple in every village, there is a question of whether there are effective or ineffective Dragon Kings among these many Dragon Kings. Therefore, before lifting the Dragon King, people usually choose the most effective one in the nearby village, not necessarily the one in their own village. In this way, there is a question of inviting the Dragon King. Inviting the Dragon King does not really mean inviting the Dragon King (statue) in the Dragon King Temple to their own village, but only inviting the wooden tablet in front of the Dragon King. The tablet naturally has the name of the Dragon King written on it. The Dragon King invited on the first day should be placed in the Dragon King Temple in their own village first, so that it can rest for a night. The real activity of lifting the Dragon King is only carried out on the second day. The next day, the wooden tablets of the invited Dragon King and the original Dragon King of the village were placed together in a specially built building (sedan). A group of strong and healthy young men who went barefoot had a simple breakfast, and then knelt down and cried to the two Dragon Kings together with a large group of people from the village, men, women, old and young, and told them the bitterness of the long drought. They said: "Old Lord, please give me the rain. The crops are drying up and the women are scorched. If it doesn't rain, we will have no way to live. Old Lord, please give me the rain." Their piety and heart-wrenching expressions were both obvious and tear-jerking. After kneeling and crying, the team carrying the Dragon King would set out of the village. The Dragon King is a god, and a god must have the posture and majesty of a god, and this majesty must naturally be shown in the whole process of carrying the Dragon King. For example, aren't the people who carry the Dragon King all barefoot young men? But as long as these barefoot young men carry the Dragon King on their shoulders, they are fearless. They dare to climb cliffs, go down ditches, pass through coniferous forests, and step on rocks. It's as if they have become invulnerable gods who dare to go through mountains of swords and seas of fire. Under normal circumstances, the team carrying the Dragon King sets out after breakfast, and around 12 noon, they will stop at another Dragon King temple nearby, have lunch there, and cry and kneel there. The destination of the Dragon King when returning is first the temple of the Dragon King who was invited. The Dragon King, who is the guest god, must be sent home first, and then the Dragon King of their own village is carried back and placed. In this way, the sun is about to set, and the activity of carrying the Dragon King is over. Next, people are eagerly waiting for the thunder and lightning of the Dragon King and the rain. If it still doesn't rain after the Dragon King is lifted, the poor farmers will have no other choice but to curse the Dragon King in their hearts for being blind and deliberately not wanting the people! Sometimes gods and humans will quarrel with each other. Since the Dragon King doesn't want to rain, what's there to be afraid of if we don't quarrel with him? (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)