Mid Autumn Festival (autumn in Foshan)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Mid Autumn Festival (autumn in Foshan)

Applicant: Foshan City, Guangdong Province

Project No.: 453

Project No.: X - 5

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: folk customs

Region: Guangdong Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Foshan City, Guangdong Province

Protection unit: Foshan Folk Art Research Society Co., Ltd

Mid Autumn Festival (autumn in Foshan)

Applicant: Foshan City, Guangdong Province

The Mid Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar is also known as "moonlit", "Autumn Festival", "Mid Autumn Festival", "August Festival", "August meeting", "moon chasing Festival", "moon playing Festival", "moon worship Festival", "daughter's Day" and "reunion festival". It is a traditional cultural festival popular among many ethnic groups in China. Because the season is just half of the three autumn festival, it is named "Mid Autumn Festival". According to the general saying, the moon is the biggest, roundest and brightest on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival, so there has been the custom of drinking and enjoying the moon since ancient times. The daughter-in-law who returns to her mother's home must return to her husband's home this day for family reunion and peace. In Hong Kong, after the Mid Autumn Festival, we have to have another carnival on the 16th night, which is called "chasing the moon".

The Mid Autumn Festival is a continuation of the ancient custom of worshiping the moon. In the Zhou Dynasty, there were activities of "welcoming the cold on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival", "offering good fur on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival" and "worshiping the moon on the eve of the autumnal equinox"; in the Han Dynasty, there was a custom of worshiping the elderly and providing for the aged on the day of the Mid Autumn Festival or the beginning of the autumn festival; in the Jin Dynasty, there was a custom of enjoying the moon during the Mid Autumn Festival; in the Tang Dynasty, the gods such as the Mid Autumn Festival and Chang'e flying to the moon, Wu Gang cutting down GUI, Yutu pounding herbs In the Northern Song Dynasty, August 15 was designated as the Mid Autumn Festival, and related seasonal food appeared, "cakes such as chewing the moon, with crisp and Yi in them.". In the long-term development process, a series of activities have been held around the Mid Autumn Festival, including offering sacrifices to the moon, eating moon cakes, divination, sending melons and seeds, watching the moon, fighting crickets, playing with crickets, offering sacrifices to the earth's birthday, telling about the moon and the legends of Chang'e, jade rabbit and Wu Gang, etc. In these activities, the moon god horse, moon cake mold, rabbit master, cricket jar, cage and other equipment will be used.

The biggest feature of the Mid Autumn Festival is to place the hope of harmony between man and nature in the sky. Mid August is the harvest season of agriculture. Moon cakes and fruits are not only offerings to gods, but also specific symbols of harvest. The reunion of families on the night of full moon strengthens the family relationship. Therefore, the Mid Autumn Festival has become an important medium for social harmony.

The Mid Autumn Festival is an important festival of the Chinese nation next only to the Spring Festival. In today's era of continuous modernization of social life, although the related festival entertainment, diet and other activities are still active, but the traditional festival connotation is gradually weakening. It is necessary to continue and consolidate the national cultural connotation of the mid autumn festival through government advocacy and other ways, and re-establish the important role of this festival in social life Status.

Autumn in Foshan is a traditional mass cultural activity in Foshan City, Guangdong Province, which started with children's grass dance and dragon harvest.

It is said that it originated in the Jin Dynasty. In 1449, it was named "autumn color", which means that it was the golden autumn season in Foshan when the activities were held. Autumn in Foshan is held in the form of a grand parade on the moonlit night before and after the Mid Autumn Festival, also known as "autumn night", "autumn color" and "autumn scenery". From the middle of Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, the autumn color of Foshan reached its peak. In every good year, the residents of various industries or shops will spontaneously organize large-scale autumn activities. More than 20 shops in the town respond to the motion of Yipu, and the masses of the four townships also come to join in the fun. The participants compete in the parade demonstration. After long-term development, they have formed a unique local folk custom.

Foshan autumn can be divided into two categories: folk arts and crafts exhibition and artistic performance. Folk arts and crafts exhibition mainly includes five categories: binding, bricklaying, needling, mounting and carving. Artistic performance mainly includes five categories: folk music, dance, drama, acrobatics and make-up performance. There are thousands of people participating in the autumn parade, and the parade team is several miles long. Its performance forms are divided into seven colors: light color, horse color, car color, ground color, water color, floating color and scenery color.

Foshan autumn has a broad mass base, which is an important basis for the study of Lingnan local history, economy, culture and art. At present, there are only a few inheritors of some production techniques in autumn folk arts and crafts exhibition, such as masonry, needlework, plastic mounting, carving and so on, which are in danger of being lost and need to be protected.