Temple Fair (Fangyan Temple Fair)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Temple Fair (Fangyan Temple Fair)

Applicant: Yongkang City, Zhejiang Province

Item No.: 991

Project No.: Ⅹ - 84

Time of publication: 2011 (the third batch)

Category: folk customs

Region: Zhejiang Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Yongkang City, Zhejiang Province

Protection unit: Yongkang Fangyan Scenic Area Investment Management Co., Ltd

Temple Fair (Fangyan Temple Fair)

Applicant: Yongkang City, Zhejiang Province

Fangyan temple fair is a cultural space for folk activities held in Hugong temple, Yongkang City, Zhejiang Province.

Fangyan, located in the east of Yongkang, is a national scenic spot. On the top of the mountain are Guangci temple, which was built in the fourth year of Dazhong (850) of Tang Dynasty, and Hu Gong temple, which was built to commemorate Hu Ze of Song Dynasty.

Hu Ze (963-1039) was a famous official in the Northern Song Dynasty. During the period of Xuanhe and zhibaoyou, emperors of all dynasties continued to confer on him, and Hu Ze went from minister to Marquis and from marquis to duke. Because of his "serving as an official for the benefit of one side", the people regarded him as "the great emperor of Hu Gong" and set up "Hu Gong Temple" as a memorial temple.

The temple fair lasts for more than 50 days from the beginning of August to the Double Ninth Festival of the lunar calendar, with two climaxes around August 13 and September.

The core content of temple fair activities is "Yingan", that is, "yingluohan, baihugong" ritual activities: Hugong God seat (commonly known as "Hugong case") parade, halogen book, honor guard and retinue. Luohan Troupe (commonly known as "yingluohan") composed of dozens or hundreds of young adults performed martial arts juggling. There are also singing and dancing teams, either following the Rohan class or performing alone. Folk dance "Eighteen butterflies" and Lion Dance "nine lions" are well-known traditional programs. There are as many as four or five hundred Arhats participating in the temple fair, belonging to 72 folk "Hu Gong Hui". During the fair period, they compete with each other in the villages along the way at the top of Fangyan mountain.