Zhonghe Festival (Zhonghe festival in Yunqiu mountain)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Zhonghe Festival

Applicant: Xiangning County, Shanxi Province

Project No.: 1198

Project No.: Ⅹ - 123

Time of publication: 2011 (the third batch)

Category: folk customs

Region: Shanxi Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Xiangning County, Shanxi Province

Protection unit: Xiangning Zhonghe Culture Research Association

Zhonghe Festival (Zhonghe festival in Yunqiu mountain)

Applicant: Xiangning County, Shanxi Province

Zhonghe Festival is a traditional Chinese festival. The Zhonghe festival in Yunqiu mountain is named after the festival's distribution center in Yunqiu mountain. It takes February 15 of the lunar calendar as the main day.

Zhonghe culture first flourished in Xia Dynasty and formed a large scale in Zhou Dynasty. According to the book of songs Daya Shengmin, Houji held a large-scale sacrifice to the gods after the harvest. Yunqiu mountain was called Kunlun and Beiding in ancient times. The custom of "Chaoding" in Zhonghe festival in Yunqiu mountain is a folk inheritance of this behavior.

Zhonghe Festival is popular in Xiangning, Jishan, Xinjiang, Hejin, Wanrong, Xiangfen, Quwo, Yuncheng, Linfen and other counties and cities in southern Shanxi, and also affects Northwest Henan and Eastern Shaanxi.

During the festival, each village held its own "meeting". During the festival, they eat Mahua, almond cake and dried steamed bread slices, commonly known as "biting scorpion tail". On February 2, the dragon looks up and scorpions snake into the gourd. Draw a picture of a gourd containing all the five poisons. Sprinkle white dust around the house to induce the dragon to drive away evil spirits. Chaoshan villagers hold red flag, play waist drum, sing Yangko, and carry the tower to earth temple to worship Saishen, praying for a bumper harvest of grain. On February 15, he ascended the second summit (Yuhuangding and zushiding). Touch the baby and pray for children. The flagpole picks the flower basket to talk about love. Eat "Jujube Flower" to pray.

Zhonghe Festival is the spiritual process of pursuing "Zhongzheng Pinghe" among the people. It has the value of sociology and folklore, and is the living fossil of studying festival culture.