On February 2, pray for good weather and peace for the country and the people
2022-03-01
The dragon head Festival on the second day of the second lunar month is an ancient festival closely related to the dragon, water, farmers and land. All the customs derived from this are not only the concrete expression of China's thousands of years of agricultural civilization, respect for heaven, love the earth, respond to people and the unity of heaven and man, but also the simple and beautiful vision of hardworking, brave and good Chinese people praying for national peace and good weather. It is culture that brings us closer "On February 2, the river went up, the east wind was warm, and the wind blew the Sheng. The beards and willow eyes were all rogues, and the purple butterflies and wasps were all affectionate." February 2, which was originally about "wind and rain in heaven and earth and spring ploughing", has gradually evolved into a "auspicious culture" with multiple blessings. Today, it has been integrated into the daily life and entertainment activities of various nationalities, enriched the festival form of Chinese culture and opened the public's passionate imagination of a better life. Chinese with a little cultural awareness must admit that the vast "dragon culture" all over China is the spiritual totem of the Chinese nation. Some scholars believe that the theme of "dragon culture" highlighted on February 2 is the result of national integration and cultural dissemination in the history of the Chinese nation. Wen Yiduo, a famous poet, also believes that the dragon totem is the result of the integration of early clans. The ancient Chinese clan dominated by snake totem fused the totem symbols of different clans with the snake in the process of clan merger, creating the image of the dragon. According to textual research, the prototype of "dragon culture" has actually appeared in the dragon shaped jade Jue unearthed in the Xinglongwa cultural site about 8000 years ago. All historical evidence undoubtedly points to the cultural origin of the Chinese as "descendants of the dragon". Moreover, we also see realistically that the Chinese people have a strong cultural identity of being "descendants of the dragon". We are proud of this, and we are closer because of culture. This cultural identity is not weakened by the change of time, but strengthened by the extension of time. This is also the source of the endless growth of Chinese civilization. Especially the Chinese living abroad, they are committed to the civilization created by their ancestors and are willing to spread it to the next generation. No matter what they think, no matter where they go, they know where they come from. Farming culture dominated by water and soil February 2 dragon head Festival, also known as spring ploughing Festival, farming Festival and spring Dragon Festival, is a traditional folk festival in China. Guo Yuqiao, a folklore scholar in Inner Mongolia, said that all kinds of New Year customs such as February 2 are deeply branded with agriculture, integrated into Farmers' lives and pinned on Farmers' ideals of life in the hope of national peace and stability and good weather. "February 2 is said to be the day when the dragon looks up. This festival is celebrated to show respect for the dragon and pray for rain, so that the old God can protect the harvest." Guo Yuqiao said that February 2 is also the father-in-law's birthday, so it is also known as the land birthday. In order to warm the father-in-law's birthday, in the past, some places had the custom of holding land meetings the day before February 2. Every household raised money to celebrate the birthday of the land God, burned incense and offered sacrifices to the earth temple, sounded gongs and drums, and set off firecrackers. When did the ancients begin to pay attention to February 2? Guo Yuqiao said that it should be originated from the Fuxi era. Fuxi "pays attention to agriculture and mulberry, and cultivates the land". On February 2 every year, the emperor's mother will "send rice, drive and cultivate". At the time of King Wu of Zhou Dynasty, a grand ceremony was held on February 2 every year, calling on all civil and military officials to cultivate in person. In the Tang Dynasty, February 2 was regarded as a special day, which was called "welcoming wealth". On this day, people should eat "fruits of welcoming wealth", that is, eat some snacks and other foods. The court of Song Dynasty also had special activities on this day. Song people carefully described in the old stories of Wulin that in the Southern Song Dynasty, there was a "vegetable selection" royal banquet in the heavenly palace on February 2. At the banquet, lettuce and other fresh vegetables were planted in the measuring vessels of some small Dendrobium. Their names were written on silk and placed under the Dendrobium for everyone to guess. According to the guess results, there were rewards and punishments. "This activity was both a 'taste of fresh food' and entertainment. Therefore, at that time, 'the Royal Palace and noble residence also had many effects'. However, these February 2 activities in the Tang and Song dynasties were not associated with' dragon head up '." Guo Yuqiao said. When was February 2 associated with "dragon head up"? In the Yuan Dynasty, it was clear that February 2 was "the rise of the dragon"; During the Qing Dynasty, this day was officially called "dragon rise". Guo Yuqiao said that the dragon is an ancient totem of the Chinese nation. According to legend, the dragon can carry clouds and rain, eliminate disasters and bring blessings. However, this kind of dragon does not actually exist. It is based on snakes and earthworms and imagined by our ancestors. February 2 is just before and after the solar term of waking insects. Spring returns to the earth, and the weather is getting warmer. Many animals such as snakes, earthworms and frogs begin to wake up from hibernation. Around February 2, people expect dragons who can ride the clouds and call the wind and rain to come out to curb all harmful poisonous insects, and hope that the country will be safe and the farmland will have a good harvest. Good customs contain traditional virtues All things are born in the earth, and the earth sends thousands of auspicious waves. Cultivated land is the foundation of the sustainable development of the Chinese nation. In the long-term close contact with cultivated land, people take February 2 as the order, and many customs have been derived. These customs, which have been spread among the people for thousands of years, have been deeply rooted in people's hearts, flowing in people's blood, and reposing people's most simple beliefs and hopes for life. Among them, the most famous custom is "shaving faucets". On this day every year, no matter how busy people are, they will take time to go to the barber shop for a haircut. Barber shops in the streets and alleys are crowded with customers and lined up in long lines. Barbers are busy from morning to night. Children have their hair cut on February 2, which is called "shaving their heads". Adults hope to take advantage of the auspicious time of "dragon head up" to bless children's healthy growth and stand out when they grow up; Adult barber means to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new. I hope it can bring good luck in the year and everything goes smoothly. In some places in southern China, there is also the custom of starting a dragon boat on February 2. On this day, people will go to the dragon temple or the water bank to burn incense to offer sacrifices to the Dragon God, pray for the Dragon God to revive the clouds and melt the rain, and bless the bumper harvest of grain in a year. In the view of the ancients, the bustling Spring Festival is not over until February 2, which indicates that everyone's work and life will be on track, and farmers will also start a year of hard work. Guo Yuqiao said that in the generation of Siziwang Banner in Inner Mongolia, in the old days, because they were not rich, on February 2, every family would carefully take the New Year pictures off the wall and put them away, and then paste them until the Spring Festival next year; The landowner's long-term worker and the shepherd had a spring festival break. On this day, they also began to make preparations before going to work. Therefore, this day is also the spring ploughing Festival and farming festival in rural areas. This can be seen from the popular agricultural proverb of February 2. Among these proverbs, "February two dragons raise their heads and small households make cattle", "February two dragons raise their heads and big warehouses are full of small warehouses" is the most catchy. On February 2, people still have a lot of food to eat, such as dumplings, pasta and cakes. Eating dumplings is "an longan", eating cakes is "wearing Dragon Skin", and eating pasta is "weaving dragon clothes". On this day, women most avoid moving needles and threads to avoid hurting the dragon's eyes. Guo Yuqiao said that all these customs contain the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation, such as respecting heaven and the earth, responding to people according to heaven, integrating heaven and man, and being diligent and thrifty. Centennial dragon sacrifice ceremony in ancient villages In Hohhot, the most solemn place to celebrate February 2 is the ancient village with a village history of more than 300 years - Ancient Luban village. Ancient road slab, Mongolian, Chinese means "three families", which is located at the foot of Daqingshan Mountain in Hohhot. During the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, the surnames Bu and Yun, who fled from the northeast, settled here. Soon, people surnamed Zhang who came here from Shanxi to make a living also came here, forming a village with only three surnames, from which the name of the ancient road board came. Villagers in guluban village are "decorating the dragon". With beautiful mountains and rivers and lush trees, it has legends and folk customs that are inseparable from dragons. It was once a famous access to niuyang City, the Guihua city of the Ming Dynasty, and Ma City, Suiyuan city of the Qing Dynasty. There are legends everywhere in the old prosperous areas, ancient villages and ancient roads. The ancient section of Daqingshan road looks like a long dragon lying on the hillside from a distance. It is called Panlong mountain. The ancient road slab is located at the dragon tail of Panlong mountain. There is not only an old pine tree standing for a hundred years on Panlong mountain, but also the folklore of "dragon fetching water" and "dragon rainfall". The west of the village is the site of the Dragon King Temple with a history of more than 300 years. In front of the site, an old elm tree with a huge crown stands tall and upright. The thick trunk needs two adults to be surrounded. The colorful prayer flags on the tree are particularly eye-catching against the blue sky and white clouds. Its tree age has reached more than 250 years old, known as "divine tree". Guluban village is a "sacred tree" with a tree age of more than 250 years. West of the site, a stream of Longquan water flowing from Panlong mountain meanders to the village. For a hundred years, the clear and sweet spring water has never dried up due to summer drought or frozen due to winter cold. It flows continuously throughout the four seasons, moistening the human, livestock, plants and trees here. In the south of the site, the ancient stage site built in the 18th year of the Republic of China (1929) can still see brightly colored murals on the wall. All these constitute the profound "dragon culture" of the ancient road board February 2 Dragon Lantern Festival. The history of this festival is almost as long as that of the village. On February 2 every year, people come here from all directions to watch dragon lanterns, visit Jiuqu, enjoy Dengshan, set off fireworks and watch big plays. Bu Youliang is the inheritor of intangible cultural heritage at the level of the autonomous region of February Erlong Lantern Festival. At the age of 59, he has been the main organizer and participant of February 2 dragon lantern festival since he was 18. He knows the process of this custom by heart. Bu Youliang said that for hundreds of years, the ancient road board February 2 Dragon Lantern Festival has been very grand, which is divided into many ceremonies, such as "inviting the dragon", "decorating the dragon" and "leaving the dragon". Three days before February 2, the ceremony of "inviting the dragon" began, which means that the Dragon placed after the last year's activity will be invited out for decoration and sent to the site of the Dragon King Temple to lie down and wait for the "dragon" on February 2. "The ceremony of 'leaving the Dragon' is held in the evening of February 2. This is the most exquisite." Bu Youliang said that when playing drum music, lighting firecrackers, lighting a fire and giving rise to dragon words, the members of the dragon dance team danced a 32 meter long dragon around the site of the Dragon King temple for three times and went to the Longquan water to "drink the dragon". After drinking the dragon, go down the mountain into the village and go straight to the "Yellow River Jiuqu array". When passing the farmhouse on longxia mountain road, the villagers will come out to worship the dragon, pray and make wishes... Until the end of the Dragon Dance late at night, send the Dragon back to the site of Longwang temple to "lie down" and invite it out again before February 2 next year. Among the three surnames in guluban village, the Bu surname and the Yun surname are Mongolian and the Zhang surname is Han. The three families live in harmony from generation to generation and multiply and intermarry. With the changes of the times and the expansion of the village, there are Manchu, Hui and other families here, which has formed a new era village of multi-ethnic integration and coexistence. In the ancient customs continued from generation to generation, the ancient road board seeks development opportunities in inheritance and responds to the government's call for demolition and reform. Now it has changed its old appearance. In addition to retaining the Centennial ruins, other sites of the village have long been transformed into Daqingshan Red Culture Park. The villagers have lived a happier and better life in the spacious and bright buildings of the new site of the village. (outlook new era)
Edit：Yuanqi Tang Responsible editor：Xiao Yu
Source：
Special statement: if the pictures and texts reproduced or quoted on this site infringe your legitimate rights and interests, please contact this site, and this site will correct and delete them in time. For copyright issues and website cooperation, please contact through outlook new era email：lwxsd@liaowanghn.com
Recommended Reading Change it 
Home
