Folk beliefs and customs (Polo's birthday)

The name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: folk belief and custom

Applicant: Huangpu District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province

Item No.: 992

Project No.: Ⅹ - 85

Time of publication: 2011 (the third batch)

Category: folk customs

Region: Guangdong Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Huangpu District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province

Protected by: Huangpu District Museum, Guangzhou

A brief introduction to folk belief and custom (Polo birthday)

Applicant: Huangpu District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province

Polo's birthday is a traditional folk custom held regularly in Nanhai temple, Huangpu District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province.

Nanhai temple was built in the 14th year of kaihuang (594) of Sui Dynasty. On the Baltic River, the temple has a tall tree, so it is commonly known as the Baltic temple. Nanhai God was granted by imperial edicts in successive dynasties. In 1724, he was granted the title of God of Dragon King Zhaoming in Nanhai. Before going in and out of the temple, worship and pray.

According to the records of rites and music in the eighth volume of general annals of Guangdong, Nanhai temple is an official sacrifice. In the folk, February 13 of the lunar calendar is the birthday of Nanhai God. Every year, temple fairs are held on February 11, with a grand scale, which is called "Nanhai God's birthday" or "Polo's birthday". Nearby people and overseas Chinese believers from Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asia swarmed in.

The main activities of the temple fair include the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the sea, the activity of "five sons to the king", the flower festival, the Zhangqiu poetry fair, and the Lingnan folk custom performance.