Xiao Huineng shook his head and said, "Well, it turns out that walking the 'big king' involves a few big brothers carrying the 'king' all the way, shouting all the way. This is called walking the 'big king'."
Lu Xingxin said loudly: "That's probably it!" Lu Xingxin looked at the team of "Kings" and looked towards the north affectionately...
Xiao Huineng saw Lu Xingxin stop walking and stand on the roadside. He blinked his eyes and asked guessingly: "Dad, are you thinking about going to be a 'big king' during the Chinese New Year in your hometown?"
"Yes! Dad is thinking about going to his hometown to be the 'king' during the Chinese New Year."
Xiao Huineng took Lu Xingxuan's hand and asked curiously: "My father's hometown is going to the 'King' during the Chinese New Year. Is it lively and fun to watch?"
"Have a good look, it's so impressive!" Lu Xingxin imitated the local people's words, and after finishing speaking, he proudly introduced to Xiao Huineng——
"Zou Da Wang" is called "Zu Da Wang" in Fan Yang, my father's hometown. It originated in the middle of the Han Dynasty.
The day when the "king" is invited in Fanyang Village is also the time to worship the gods.
Villagers offer chickens, pork, and fruits as sacrifices to worship their ancestors and the land. Land is also called the God of Earth, Lord of the Land, God of Society, and Lord of Society. "Gongyang Zhuan" says, "She is the owner of the land." This is where the name of the land comes from. The land god is the god who protects the place and is responsible for protecting the safety of the place. The land carries and grows all things, and the fruits of hard work are high. People worship it, on the one hand, to express admiration, worship and gratitude, and on the other hand, they also use it to pray for the elimination of disasters, good luck, good weather, and a prosperous life in the future.
After worshiping the ancestors and the earth god, the next "sacred mission" is to invite the "big king".
The following forms are similar but can be different. Here in Xinzhou, walking is the main method, while in Fanyang, people kneel down and respectfully invite the "big king".
Wherever the "king" team goes along the way, people watching the excitement along the way will consciously or unconsciously join the "king" team.
Lu Xingxin took Xiao Huineng, watched and watched, and couldn't help but join the "big king" team. Xiao Huineng was the youngest Huineng in the "big king" team at that time.
Lu Xingxuan and Xiao Huineng walked beside the drummer. As soon as the drummer saw Lu Xingxuan, he greeted him cordially: "Master Lu, you are also bringing your son to see the 'King'!"
Lu Xingxin said loudly: "Yes, Uncle Zhang! We are here to bring good fortune during the Chinese New Year. The countryside of Xinzhou is so lively during the Chinese New Year!"
"This walking 'Da Wang' has only emerged in the past two years. You see, I am not very familiar with the drums of this Tong walking 'Da Wang'!" Zhang Bo introduced while playing the drums.
"The drum music for "Going to the Great King" is called "Desheng Ling" and it has a drum score." When Lu Xingxin was an official in Fan Yang, he studied music, chess, poetry, painting, calligraphy, and gong and drum music. Therefore, when he saw what Zhang Bo said, He actually let it slip for fear of punishing Uncle Zhang.
And Uncle Zhang, like most people in the mountains, has a kind, honest and humble personality. In addition, Lu Xingxin is so talented that he doesn't charge a penny for writing Spring Festival couplets during the New Year. He also volunteers to teach his grandson how to read and write. How can you blame him? It’s not too late to thank you!
Zhang Bo said sincerely: "Master Lu, please teach me how to make a 'victory order'."
At Zhang Bo's sincere request, Lu Xingxin took the drum stick and played the "Victory Order" drum.
The powerful and passionate drum beats won bursts of applause from the audience. From then on, the drum music of "King" and "Victory Order" spread in Xinzhou.
Along the way, the sound of firecrackers, gongs and drums and the shouts of people carrying the "King" were all loud. The scene was very lively, especially every time they went to a village or whenever there was an open space, the little Huineng guy who was carrying the "King" would carry the "King". The "big king" was raised high, shaken or bumped vigorously, and then rushed forward with a shout. The "big kings" in the villages, villages, and squares behind him also followed suit one after another...
Next, there was a fierce competition to see which team from one village, one village, and one workshop reached the "Dawang" temple first.
The first one to arrive means that the place where he is located will have good luck throughout the year. After finishing the "King" walk and celebrating in the square in front of the Dawang Temple, each village and village will beat gongs and drums to send the "King" back to the "King" house in each village, and then send the "King" to the winner of the fireworks, which lasts for approximately 3 hours.
After everything is done, every village, village, and workshop begins to hold banquets and toast with relatives and friends to celebrate and build up their strength to welcome the arrival of spring plowing and production in the new year.
During the Chinese New Year, Xiao Huineng not only went to see the "King" with her father, but also went to the village to visit the lantern festival with her father and mother.
The prosperous atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty nurtured the majesty and magnificence of China's excellent traditional culture.
Folk activities such as lantern festivals, cannon burning, and fire-bar dancing are popular during the New Year in Xinzhou, Lingnan Province. They are known as the grand events in the history of folk customs since the Han and Tang Dynasties.
Visiting the Lantern Festival is also full of strong New Year flavor in the local area.
The origin of Xinzhou lanterns is inseparable from traditional Chinese culture.
During the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, in order to celebrate the prosperity of the country and the people's peace, lanterns were tied up inside and outside the imperial city. With the flickering lights, they symbolized "the colorful dragon signifies good fortune, the people and the country are strong", and the lantern custom became popular from then on.
Xinzhou was a place of exile for officials from past dynasties. The demoted officials and their families brought the craftsmanship of making lanterns here from the Central Plains.
Every year during the Lantern Festival and Xiyuan Festival, large-scale lantern festivals are held in every village in Xinzhou.
The village auditorium is filled with lanterns sent by each household, in different shapes, magnificent and full of joy.
At the same time, the village also invited theater troupes to perform, held large banquets, and held various ceremonies such as inviting the king and sending off the king. It was very lively, attracting many outsiders to come to watch the lanterns and watch the show and join in the fun.
Lanterns are inseparable from the Lantern Festival. Among traditional festivals and customs, the Lantern Festival can be said to be the most lively and best inherited. Starting from the 13th day of the first lunar month, people go to ancestral temples to hang lanterns. On the 15th day of the first lunar month, lanterns will be hung. Hanging it on the door of your home is called a lantern.
In the local dialect of Xinzhou, "Deng" and "Ding" have the same pronunciation.
The old customs all want to "prosper the population", so it is convenient to write "Xinglan (Ding)" homophonic meaning on the lantern (Ding) during the Lantern Festival.
Even if the lanterns are burning during the lighting process, it is not an ominous sign. On the contrary, burning lanterns is a good omen, which means that there will be a baby in the coming year and good luck.
In the past, during local festivals, every village would perform joyful lantern dances to pray for good luck, and there was a custom of nephews visiting uncles.
Some people in Xinzhou said after a while: "My nephew is lighting a lantern to shine on (my uncle)."
According to the old custom in rural areas of Xinzhou County, during the Lantern Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival, the nephew goes to visit his uncle. When he returns home, the uncle will buy a lantern to give to the nephew.
On the night of the festival, all kinds of lanterns were hung on the roadside, including red gauze palace lanterns and paper lanterns of various colors. Many uncles and nieces were busy buying "as usual" lanterns for their nephews and nieces. .
Lanterns are lamps used by people for lighting.
In the past, lanterns were widely used by people on festive occasions such as the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, weddings, marriages, coming-of-age, and births. From local officials to ordinary people, they all advocated the culture of lanterns, and every household Like hanging lanterns.
Lanterns represent good luck and good luck.
There is a popular folk song in Xinzhou describing lanterns:
Lantern Festival, Lantern Festival, go home and sleep when the lanterns are dark.
I carried a lantern to shine on my uncle, who was hiding behind the door.
Watermelon lanterns, pumpkin lanterns, and lanterns on the streets and alleys.
One kick, two kicks, and my lantern won't break.
After visiting the Lantern Festival, it was time to celebrate the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
As the saying goes, "The winds are different in a hundred miles, and the customs are different in a thousand miles." There are different customs in various places among the people for celebrating the Lantern Festival.
After the Lantern Festival, it was time for the very lively Lantern Festival.
The most popular way to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Huineng's hometown is "burning cannons". Every year from the first month to February, each village takes turns to burn cannons. It can be said that the day of "burning cannons" is more lively than the first day of the Chinese New Year.
"Burning cannons", which the locals call "grabbing fireworks", has existed in Xinzhou since ancient times.
Little Huineng Huineng heard her mother say: "When she was little Huineng, she went to watch the cannon burning every year. The day when the cannon is burned in our village is also a time to worship the gods." Villagers offer chickens, pork, and fruits as sacrifices to worship their ancestors and the land. Land is also called the God of Earth, Lord of the Land, God of Society, and Lord of Society. "
"Gongyang Zhuan" records: She is the owner of the land. This is where the name of the land comes from.
The land god is the god who protects the place and is responsible for protecting the safety of the place.
The land carries and grows all things, and the fruits of hard work are high. People worship it, on the one hand, to express admiration, worship and gratitude, and on the other hand, they also use it to pray for the elimination of disasters, good luck, good weather, and a prosperous life in the future. After worshiping the ancestors and the land god, the next step is to burn the cannon.
According to folklore, the ninth day of the first lunar month is the birthday of the Jade Emperor. On this day, people eat fruits, tea, and tidy up their clothes to pay homage to the Jade Emperor.
For larger-scale sacrifices, an altar will be set up. Firecrackers will be set off, gongs and drums will be beaten, music will be played, and trumpets will be blown during the worship ceremony. The scene will be very lively.
After the worship ceremony, activities such as "Going up the knife mountain", "Going down to the sea of fire", and "grabbing fireworks" will also be held.
The so-called "climbing the knife mountain" means climbing a wooden knife ladder with several special knives installed on the ladder.
"Going into the sea of fire" means burning coals on the ground and walking barefoot over the coals. Those who can "climb mountains of swords and seas of fire" symbolize bravery, tenacity, and fearlessness of hardships, and also express people's desire to eliminate disasters.
To "grab the fireworks" is to put the cannon rings into the blunderbuss in advance. After lighting, the cannon rings bounce up and fall from a high altitude. People scramble to grab them, which means good luck.
The village where the winner is located regards the cannon ring as a sacred object and worships it with great care, saying that it can protect the tribe, ensure the safety of the villagers, and make their lives better.
Every year on this day, every household will hold a family banquet to entertain married women and other relatives and friends.
Hosting a family banquet is not complicated. It usually consists of chicken, duck, fish, and a few stir-fried vegetables. Such as shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, broccoli, snow peas, cabbage sum, sauerkraut, mushrooms, etc.
"Sour" has the same pronunciation as "grandson" in the Cantonese dialect, and it means that there are many descendants, and both Ding and Wealth are prosperous.
The location for burning cannons is to choose a relatively open field, set up a high platform in the middle, and find a piece of wood or bamboo pole to erect. Farther away, there is a long bamboo pole with pulleys, specially used to set off firecrackers, with colorful flags flying around. , very magnificent.
People came from all directions and gathered in several layers.
Among these groups of people, there were those who came to support the battle, and those who came to watch and grab the fireworks. Coupled with the villagers from all over the country who joined in the fun, such a "big battle" was truly an unprecedented event. .
On the day of "burning the cannon", relatives and friends from all the families in the village, plus villagers from all over the country joined in the fun, and the scene was quite spectacular.
At 3:30 pm, the cannon burning started.
Fireworks and fireworks are made uniformly.
When burning a cannon, first put the cannon ring (made of metal or rattan) into the cannon.
Following the commander's order, the gunner lit the cannon with incense, and immediately heard a loud "rumbling" sound, the cannon ring rose into the sky, and then fell from the sky again.
The cannon-snatchers stared intently into the sky at first. When the cannon ring fell, people swarmed up.
The one who grabs the cannon ring, after holding it high, no one else can grab it anymore, and the victory belongs to him.
The winner will quickly run to the gun owner and receive a big red envelope.
Among all the fireworks, the first one is the most grand. The winner is not only respected by people, but also proud of it, which heralds good luck for the year.
After burning the cannons, the fireworks grabbing activity comes to an end.
After the crowd of onlookers dispersed, the host continued to organize the team, beat gongs and drums, played joyful music, and carried the hanging cannon ring and mirror screen to the home of the first cannon winner.
The winner needs to kill a chicken to worship heaven, earth and ancestors three days later, and then return the mirror screen and cannon circle to the village, where they will be kept by respected elders for continued recycling in the coming year.
At this point, the cannon burning activity is over.
