Folk beliefs and customs (Qiantong Xinzi Festival)

The name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: folk customs (Qiantong Xinzi Festival)

Applicant: Yanshan County, Hebei Province

Item No.: 992

Project No.: Ⅹ - 85

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: folk customs

Region: Hebei Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Yanshan County, Hebei Province

Protection unit: Yanshan County Cultural Center

A brief introduction to folk customs (Qiantong Xinzi Festival)

Applicant: Yanshan County, Hebei Province

Faithfulness, also known as "popular belief", is a conventional traditional idea formed in the process of people's long-term production and life. Under the domination of this idea, people will have psychological and behavioral identification with some folk phenomenon. The deities worshipped by traditional folk beliefs are an important source of belief and custom. Praying for blessings and avoiding harm is the internal reason for the continuous inheritance of traditional belief and custom. The collection of various forms of folk culture forms the cultural space of folk belief and custom.

Qiantong Xinzi Festival is a cultural relic of the historical event of Xu Fu carrying thousands of boys and girls to Fusang more than 2000 years ago. It is popular in Yanshan area of Hebei Province. The Xinzi Festival is only held on March 28 of the Jiazi year of the lunar calendar. In other years, general sacrificial activities are held on March 28 of the lunar calendar.

The sacrificial activities of Qiantong Xinzi festival start from the morning of the 28th of March in the lunar calendar and end at about noon. In the process of the activity, the participants were led by the principal to travel along the street. After the ritual, Xinzi had to go back to Kaihua Temple along the street, led by the principal to worship Qiantong stele and Qiantong hall. There are three forms of Xinzi modeling used in Xinzi Festival: building high platform, binding wooden frame and welding iron frame. In the traditional form of binding wooden frame, wooden frame is made by binding wooden pole and iron rod. The top of vertical pole is used to build air stage with iron rod and wood plate. On the stage, there are boys and girls performing various artistic modeling. The lower end of the wooden pole supporting the stage is fixed on the shelf made of iron and wood. 36 strong men lift the shelf and march steadily on the gongs and drums. In front of the shelf, there are three sections of sticks and lion dance performances. Behind the shelf, there are various flower fairs, such as Luozi, stilts, dry boat, Zhuma, hualihu, Yangko and so on.

Qiantong Xinzi Festival is an important embodiment of local folk beliefs in Yanshan, which has high folklore and historical and cultural research value. It enriches and enlivens the cultural life of the local people and plays an important role in the inheritance of national and folk culture in Hebei.