Dapeng’s Custom of Commemorating the Martyrs
137.Dapeng’s Custom of Commemorating the Martyrs
Nominating Unit: City of Shenzhen
The custom, with a history of 600 years, is to commemorate the martyrs in the war in Dapeng, Shenzhen. Dapeng was built in the years of Emperor Hongwu’s reign in the Ming Dynasty, when a plague spread around the northern City gate and made people panic. Later master Kanyu said that the northern gate was the Baihu gate, a block of which could stop the plague. And some Taoist priest was asked to hold a ritual and stop the plague. In the years of Emperor Daoguang’s reign in the Qing Dynasty, two generals Liu Qilong and Lai Enjue led their armies to hold a ritual in Dapeng, which is the earliest record of Dapeng ritual.
Traditionally, there were two kinds of rituals, “wenjiao” or “nuo” to stop the plague and“taipingqingjiao” to thank the divinities for its blessing and pray for safety. Dapeng was originally a military fortress, so traditionally the ritual was to commemorate the dead martyr and release souls from suffering. Later there were the peaceful years, hence the “taipingqingjiao”. The ritual, always in seven days, was held once in fi ve years in some kirey days from the lunar calendar the 7th to 15th, building the ritual altar in front of the gate of Tianhou Palace. The fi rst day was to welcome the divinities, inviting Guanyin in Dongshan temple, Shuixiangu in Shuishen temple, Chenghuangye in Chenghuang temple, Mazu in Tianhou palace, Taigong and others in Taigong temple. It was presided by some old man, recommended by the local people, who had healthy father-in-law and mother-in-law, with abundant offsprings and several generations alive to stand for the folks to pray for blessing, a flourishing country and peace of people, enough clothes and abundant food as well as health and longevity for the people. The following four days will take activities like worshipping the fl ag in the morning and evening, salute, reciting the scriptures, worshipping and so on. Besides, the second day will hold the activity of “qiangbaoshan” joined by the masses to pray for blessing and good luck. In the sixth day, the virtuous and old in the county would organize a parade in seven local counties with Mazu and other divinities accompanied. In the last day, shanman would hold a ritual to escort the divinities back to their temples while the local people were led by the organizers to worship the sea in the seashore and escort the god of plague back to the sea in a colored ship. In the seven days of the ritual, people were on a vegetarian diet and only resume their meat diet after the ritual. Then, a“jiangjunyan” (a grand banquet) was served to reward the people.
Because Dapeng was originally a military fortress, soldiers from different places had different languages, customs, habits and beliefs. But this grand folk activity combined various beliefs and customs including the quintessence of Buddhism and Taoism, Confucius ideals of loyalty and piety, and even belief in Mazu for her healing the wounded and rescuing the dying in Lingnan District. Besides, the series of rituals and procedures from making paper-made sacrifices to worshipping, parade, releasing, vegetarian diet and the unique “jiangjunyan” are characteristic folk cultural activities in Lingnan District, which is of great value to the study of folk beliefs and regional culture in Lingnan District.(https://www.daowen.com)
The various rituals are told by the local elders with no written record. As the masters are getting older yet the youngsters are not willing to inherit. Besides, the natives have been migrated to other places. The custom is faced with the plight of having no successors, which should be paid more attention to.
