Today (22nd), the first day of the Lunar New Year, the highlight of the Wuhou Temple Chengdu Temple Fair, "You Xi Shenfang" and "Antique Sacrifice" activities, opened in front of the cultural relics area of Chengdu Wuhou Temple Museum.
"You Xi Shen Fang" is an important folk cultural activity in old Chengdu, which refers to the common people traveling to the direction where the god of joy is located to pray for auspicious luck for a year. "Joy God" refers to the god who can bring good luck, bring joy, increase wisdom, and fortune to people. The so-called "Xi Shen Fang" refers to the direction where Xi Shen is located, and Chengdu people often regard the south as Xi Shen Fang. Visiting the Wuhou Temple in Chengdu is known as "Youxi Shenfang", and this custom continues to this day. Every year Chinese New Year's Eve, in front of Sanyi Temple, as the first bell of the New Year rings, blessings rise and fall, and the "You Joy God Fang" activity officially begins.
At 9 o'clock in the morning, accompanied by the lively sound of gongs and drums, the Shu Han honor guard team came out from all directions, majestically opening the way. Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhuge Liang led a group of military generals to appear in full costume. The god of joy Zhuge Liang opened the scroll and sang to announce the beginning of the "Antique Sacrifice". Afterwards, the sacrificial procession passed through the temple and arrived at the square in front of the Sanyi Temple, offering three sacrifices and nine ceremonies, worshipping the ancestors of Wuhou, and praying for the prosperity of Shudi.
"The temple is majestic, the Shishu Xian Collection" and "the punishment of animals and dramas, with the answer to the gods", the newly discovered inscription of the 57th year of Qianlong (1792) of the Qing Dynasty (1792) inscription "Re-donation of Sacrifice and Birth Stele" in the Wuhou Temple Museum of Chengdu records the spectacular scene of the sacrifice activities of the Wuhou Temple in the prosperous era of Qianlong, and the ancient sacrifice activities of today's "Wuhou Temple Chengdu Great Temple Fair" can be described as in the same vein.
After the "antique festival", citizens prayed in front of the Sanyi Temple, touched the "Xi Shen Fang" stone, and curried favor. The cute and childlike little god of joy is even more eye-catching, becoming the "little star" of the big temple fair, attracting countless audiences to stop and take photos. "Joy in the parade of the gods, blessings in all directions; Dressed in red Xi Shen costumes, carrying auspicious lanterns, shouting slogans and greetings, they came to the audience, interacted intimately, distributed blessing cards, blessing stickers, and sent good wishes for the New Year.
Red Star News Reporter Zeng Qi Editor Zeng Qi