In the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, the Xisai Mountain Broken River stands majestically and towers above the river.
On the east side of the foothills of Xisai Mountain, the Shenzhou Palace, a place for making and worshiping Shenzhou, is located on the south bank of the river embankment not far away. Next to the Shenzhou Palace, there is a newly built stage; On the square in front of the Shenzhou Palace, there is a merit list, which copies the names of residents who donated to the Shenzhou Club activities and the details of the donation amount.
"In about half a month, there will be a long-lasting Dragon Boat Festival event along the Yangtze River - the climax of the Xisai Shenzhou Festival." On June 7, on the square in front of the Shenzhou Palace, You Runhua, deputy secretary of the general party branch of Taoist Shichun Village, said.
Sunday, June 23
The eighteenth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar
Cisse Shenzhou Club
There will be a Shenzhou landing on the river
A cultural treasure by the Yangtze River
The 78-year-old Jia Desheng is the president and one of the representative inheritors of the Xisai Shenzhou Club on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
"The Xisai Shenzhou Festival is a traditional event for us to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, and the activities are lively." He said that the Xisai Shenzhou Festival was spontaneously and voluntarily organized by the villagers of Taoist Shichun Village in Xisai Mountain, and the Dragon Boat Festival activities with the core themes of driving away plague, eliminating evil, eliminating disasters, dispelling diseases, seeking peace and health, and prolonging life have a long history.
Dōshi Sōmura Kobu
According to legend, after Qu Yuan was martyred on the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the Chu people searched for his body in the river. The Taoist people simply believe that Qu Yuan's body will flow into the Yangtze River from the Miluo River through Dongting Lake, and Qu Yuan's body will drift to the Xisai Mountain area on the 18th day of the fifth lunar month, and the locals will send Shenzhou into the water on this day to collect Qu Yuan's body to show their remembrance of Qu Yuan.
The Xisai Shenzhou Festival lasted for 40 days, and the main activities included making Shenzhou (dragon boat), fighting disasters and eliminating epidemics, singing on stage, parading to send blessings, and Shenzhou boarding the river.
Jia Desheng introduced that from the eighth day of the fourth lunar month every year, the boat master will take his apprentices to tie the hull. The hull is a dragon-shaped boat, 7 meters long, 2 meters wide, and about 5 meters high. After the hull is tied, people will also tie 108 gods to drive away plague, evil, disasters and diseases for people, and place them in the hull.
Shenzhou Dengjiang (file picture)
On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the finished dragon-shaped boat will be lit up. The dragon boat can be called "Shenzhou" only after it is ignited. "From May 15 to May 18 of the lunar calendar, it is the official meeting period of the Shenzhou Society. In the early years, he would sing big operas day and night. Jia Desheng told this reporter that during this period, ordinary people will spontaneously come to pray for blessings and peace.
On the 16th day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, the Shenzhou parade Taoist priests throughout the village, and when they arrive at each family, the villagers put whips to greet them, sprinkle tea and rice, and worship; On the morning of the eighteenth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, a ceremony was held, and the Shenzhou boarded the river and entered the water. On that day, thousands of people would gather on the embankment around the Shenzhou River to bid farewell to Shenzhou.
There's a new chapter in the old story
With the Yangtze River as the line, the Xisai Shenzhou Society not only profoundly influenced the villagers of Taoist Shichun Village, but also built a bridge to communicate with the surrounding areas, becoming one of the cultural symbols of the Dongchu region.
On June 2, 2006, on the occasion of the first "Intangible Cultural Heritage Day" in mainland China, the "Xisai Shenzhou Festival" was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage protection list, along with the Dragon Boat Festival customs in Ziguiqu's original hometown, the Dragon Boat Festival customs on the banks of the Miluo River, and the Dragon Boat Festival customs in Suzhou.
On September 28, 2009, the fourth meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO reviewed and approved the inclusion of the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which is also the first project in Hubei Province to be selected as a world-class intangible cultural heritage.
"When I was a child, I participated in the Shenzhou Festival under the leadership of my elders, and I felt very meaningful." 21-year-old Zhang Wenjin, a sophomore, specially asked the school for leave during this time to prepare for this year's Xisai Shenzhou Festival.
Back in his hometown, Zhang Wenjin mainly assisted Jia Desheng in the promotion of this intangible cultural heritage activity. "The main inheritors of this intangible cultural heritage activity are almost all the elderly in the village, who are relatively old. With the addition of young faces, the event will be more energetic! Judson said.
During his time at the university, Zhang Wenjin applied for a cultural heritage-related entrepreneurship project, for which he also purchased a batch of photographic equipment. This time he took leave to go home, he also brought back these photographic equipment, and in his spare time, he helped Jia Desheng shoot some video works of tying Shenzhou, and posted them on the short video platform to promote the Xisai Shenzhou Club to the whole network.
Zhang Wenjin is looking forward to the scene of the Shenzhou cruise and the launch of the Shenzhou. "At that time, the village was almost empty, and they gathered by the river to watch Shenzhou go into the water, hoping that Shenzhou would take the plague away." By then, he says, he may be able to capture more moving and vivid images.
He also told reporters that for him, participating in the Xisai Shenzhou Club can further promote this unique Yangtze River culture on the one hand; On the other hand, you can also exercise your ability and accumulate more experience for entrepreneurial projects.
"I also hope that through my video works, there will be a new chapter in the old story of the Cisse Shenzhou Club." He said.
"Huangshi Ancient Town" has a new look
Overlooking the Taoist village from the drone, a mountain flies into the river, and the torrential waves and rocks are majestic.
Mountain, is the Cisse Mountain. The rushing Yangtze River is blocked by Xisai Mountain, and the water potential tends to be gentle, forming the characteristics of "swirling water on both sides, and first-class in the middle". "Taoist Shichun Village is an important ferry port at the foot of Xisai Mountain, and it was once a famous salt warehouse and vault concentration place in the country in history, and merchants gathered." Walking with reporters in the Xisai Middle School area of Taoist Xun Village, You Runhua talked about the changes here.
The scene of the Shenzhou river landing event (file picture)
The existing area of Daoshixun Village is 4.2 square kilometers, with 7 villager groups, 917 households, and a total population of 2,690 people. However, with the entry of a number of enterprises, the arable land area of Daoshichun Village has decreased year by year, and the villagers' production has gradually transformed from planting vegetables to the development of tertiary industry and labor services.
In recent years, according to the needs of development, under the guidance of relevant departments, Daoshichun Village has led the people of the village to work hard and forge ahead, so that the old appearance of this "Huangshi Ancient Town" has been renewed.
The village committee has invested 2 million yuan to harden the roads of each group; Invested more than 200 yuan to renovate the tap water in the central area of Daoshi Xun Street, and the villagers drank assured water; Invested 500,000 yuan to realize the lighting of the group road network.
Tie the Shenzhou
What makes You Runhua even more proud is that while increasing infrastructure construction and renovation of the living environment, Daoshichun Village has further strengthened the construction of spiritual civilization, built 4 cultural activity squares and green activity venues, and guided villagers to carry out various fitness, cultural and entertainment activities; The village groups also spontaneously set up a waist drum team and a fitness dance team, and the Taoist stilt team is famous far and wide.
The Xisai Middle School area is scattered, and every step of the way is beautiful
In the Xisai Middle School area of Taoist Xun Village, the reporter saw that the planning and layout of the area is reasonable, scattered, and trees and flowers are planted behind the front door of every house, and there are beautiful scenery and beautiful environment.
You Runhua said that with the opening of the Xisai Mountain Scenic Area, the Taoist Shichun Village, which is located at the foot of the Xisai Mountain, has also ushered in new opportunities. "We have also strengthened the contact with cultural tourism and other relevant departments, and actively fought for policies to combine the activities of the Xisai Shenzhou Festival with the cultural and tourism development of the Xisai Mountain Scenic Area, which is worth looking forward to in the future." She said.
Source: Yellowstone Daily