Yushen Saihui is a grand traditional Chinese folklore event in Chaoshan, Guangdong. It consists of two kinds of folklore activities, i.e., the God of Tour and the God of Tour. The "Yushen", also called "Ying Shen", is to invite the statue of the god from the temple to go around the community. This folklore activity usually takes place in the first and second months of the lunar calendar. During this period, there is also the Lantern Festival, and in some places, it is combined with the Lantern Festival, which is even more lively and spectacular. During this period, stores in towns and cities just send off the old year and celebrate the opening of the new year; in the countryside, it is the gap between the fall harvest, winter planting and spring plowing, which is the idle season. Tour of the gods, the Chaoshan commonly known as "camp master" (that is, carrying the statue of God parade Quasheng), it is all over the county, port towns to every village, just the size, duration, form is different.

Yushen, also known as "Yushen Saihui" and "Yinglaoji" in the Chaoshan area, and "Yushen", "Yushen", "Yushen", "Yushen", "Yushen", "Yushen", "Yushen", "Yushen", "Yushen", "Yushen", "Yushen", "Yushen", "Yushen", "Yushen", "Yushen" and "Yushen". In the western part of Guangdong Province, it is called "Yulao", "Yuxing", "Yuxing" and "Nianliu". It is a traditional folklore activity in the Chaoshan area, and the word "ying" is used in the Chaozhou dialect with the meaning of "circling" and "boundary", which has the folklore significance of purifying the land to drive away evils, protect the peace of the realm and pray for a good harvest. It has the folk meaning of purifying the earth to drive away evil spirits, protecting the peace of the realm and praying for abundance. Every year during the Spring Festival, according to the chronological order, the villages and towns take turns to hold folk tour of the activities of the gods, the scene is lively and extraordinary, praying for the next year, the country and the people in peace, the wind and the rain, the blessing of the gods.

Basic introduction Chinese name ：游神赛会 Alias ：营老爷、游老爷 Holding time ：Lunar New Year, February Category ：Folk cultural activities Festivals, Related activities, Pendulum Society Race, Race pig, Historical legends, Historical background, Camp Anji Shengwang, Drag the god, other related, carry the god statue, dart flag, drums and gongs, tour lanterns, Festivals, Festivals, Culture Shantou festivals culture by the myths of the deep influence of the fate of God's beliefs, four seasons and eight seasons to worship God has its own beliefs. However, although there are many sacrificial objects, local customs are not the same, but there are two points are **** the same. First, the festival in the customary worship of the gods, but also to worship the ancestors. From the Spring Festival until New Year's Eve, ancestor worship is an important part of the festival culture, the first day of the New Year, "New Year's Day, get up in the morning to worship ancestors, burning candles and incense, with tea and wine, the second men and women to worship the parents, young and old to the next worship" (Jiaqing Chenghai County Records). Secondly, while worshipping the gods and ancestors, special attention is paid to the transcendence of the individual, the family and happiness. The Tour of Gods In China, since ancient times, the "Tour of Gods" has been a carrier for the centralized display and exchange of folk customs, folk art and national culture. In order to hold a good God event, the God team will prepare and rehearse for more than a month in advance. In order to hold a good Yushin event, the Yushin team will prepare and rehearse more than a month in advance. The organizers of the Yushin event will carefully select men, women and children in the village who meet the requirements to form the Yushin team, and the participants will be responsible for lifting the statue of the god, executing dart flags, playing gongs and drums, etc., and each of them will perform their own duties to form a professional and orderly Yushin team. With the development of the times, there have been great changes in the Tour deities, and now the deities enshrined in the Tour deities are no longer just a few fixed deities, but vary from place to place, with some places being the King of the Three Mountains, the God of Guan-Di, the Flower Goddess, the Flower Woman, the Tiger God, etc. The routes are in accordance with the traditional roads left behind. The routes follow the traditional paths, and even though some places have been remodeled, most of them are still the same. "Bo Li Bo, Ying Shen Zheng, February". This proverb refers to the fact that it is all talk, but when it comes to the real work, we still don't know what month and year it will be. However, the proverb reflects the custom of the Chaoshan region of organizing the God Race in the first and second months of the year (especially the first month). The Chaoshan dialect calls the procession around the countryside with the statue of the god or colorful flags and gongs and drums as "Ying", such as "Ying God", "Ying standard", "Ying gongs and drums", etc. The customs of the year are extremely complex and complicated. Customs of the year is an extremely complex social and cultural phenomenon. Generally speaking, it refers to the customs and habits formed naturally in folklore during the year when there are changes in the order of time and festivals, as well as some man-made factors penetrating into the New Year's Day customs. In Chaoshan, there are some national customs, such as Spring Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, etc., but there are also some regional customs, such as "Ma Sheng", "Guan Sheng", etc., and there may also be some unique "Lao Sheng" which is unique to each region. Although many of the customs of the year have been preserved in Chaoshan nowadays, the content of the events has changed a lot. Related Activities Pendulum Society Races It is also a traditional folk custom in Chaoshan to hold various kinds of competitions in conjunction with the festival of the God of Worship. Before and after the Lantern Festival, many places also hold colorful Pangsha competitions. Pendulum society is in front of temples or ancestral shrines to put out a variety of refined or specialized breeding and cultivation of three kinds of livestock and crops, such as Chenghai Guanshan race of big pigs, Shantou Yuepu race of big geese, several hundred pounds of fat pigs and several dozen catties of fat geese slaughtered after the exhibition, the competition and evaluation, and the combination of theater and amusement activities, both entertainment and the fruits of labor, the impact of a large number of people, the atmosphere is good, many people to watch. Big Pig Race The Big Pig Race in Chenghai Guanshan has a long history. Before the liberation, each family name in the village took turns to preside over the race, and they set up bamboo scaffolding in front of the ancestral hall of the clan with lanterns and colorful decorations. After the pigs were slaughtered, the internal organs were taken out, the bristles were left on the head and tail of the pigs, and the pigs were carried to the wooden frame in front of the ancestral hall in Kuangcheng, where the winning pigs were placed in the ancestral hall (Pangzhi) by the people's deliberation to worship the ancestors. The pigs were marked with the name of the head of the family, and the villagers were proud that the pigs could be placed in the ancestral hall. This activity was stopped after the liberation and resumed after the reform and opening up; in 1982, the Zhou surname of the village took the lead in "Pendulum Ancestral Hall" with 18 big pigs, which was well received and the folklore of the pig race was re-established with the enthusiastic support of the public. The village Lu, Xu and Lin surnames have set up a big pig in the ancestral temple, Lu in 1997 in Lu Chu ancestral temple *** set up a big pig five or six hundred, of which the largest total amount of meat more than 400 pounds. In conjunction with the Big Pig Race, a variety of craft exhibitions and amusement activities are also held, with the village's big gong classes, colorful labels, stomping on high stony stones, as well as the performance of paper shadows and Tu Feet Opera, etc., all coming together in a festive and bustling atmosphere, which attracts the people from the surrounding towns and villages to come to enjoy the event. Historical Legends Historical Background The "Tour of the Gods" is a folkloric and joyful activity of many peoples around the world, spanning the ancient and modern worlds, as well as Chinese and foreign countries. In Europe and the Americas, a variety of carnivals, festivals, folkloric parades for the world, come and go, should be overwhelmed, colorful, a hundred competing skills. In China, since ancient times, the "Tour deities will be" are folk customs, folk art, national culture to focus on the display and exchange of a carrier. According to records, the Yellow Emperor period on the "rate of all beasts dance" activities, has continued to the present day, "everywhere Yinggeyan dance", dragon dance, lion dance, twisting rice-planting songs, but also the ancient "Tour of the gods race will be The Dragon Dance, Lion Dance and Yangge Song are also remnants of the ancient "Tour of Gods and Races". Ying Anji Shengwang In the old days, Chaozhou's "Ying Laozi" was the largest, most influential, grandest and most famous one, which was "Ying Anji Shengwang" in Chaozhou Prefecture. According to the legend, Anji Shengwang is the idol of Wang Fu in the Three Kingdoms period. Mr. and Mrs. Wang was a Shu Han people, once with Zhu Geliang conquered Dian, and then served as the governor of Yunnan Yongchang County, the reign of concern for the people's plight, honest governance, protect the land and defend the borders, died in office, the local people set up a shrine for the worship. In the early Qing Dynasty, there is an official position in Yunnan surnamed Xie Chao people, suffered from the frame-up, Mr. and Mrs. Wang showed the saint to save him, Xie's sense of grace, molding Mr. and Mrs. Wang's statue to bring back to the Chaozhou city south of the embankment to build a temple for worship. Anji saint king eat a party of incense, to protect a party of people, quite a miracle. According to the legend, once the flood season came, the Han River surged, flooding, the south embankment emergency, in front of the temple there is a group of green snakes gathered, the Han River level ebb tide, the embankment turned into a safe. The city elders believe that this is the king of Anji manifestation of saint, incarnation of the retreating water, to protect the territory and people. So the temple was enlarged and the deity was reconstructed in a bigger size and worshipped with great pomp. Anji St. King God tour date for the first month of 24, 25, 26 three days, the first night called "the first night light", the city's seven societies of the big screen lights, miscellaneous lights, living lights, in the sky of the big gongs and drums and a bright silk and bamboo orchestral music accompanied by a vast from all sides to the city south of the Qinglong Temple to pay homage to the King of Anji God. After the lanterns pay homage to the statue of the god, the parade is divided according to the prescribed route. The next night that is "two night light", lanterns first in the North Gate after the concentration, pick up the new route parade. The second night of the Ohio Crossing Zi time, is considered to enter the third day of the "day", the night of 11:00 more than the Qinglong Temple rang the "start horse" cannon, the sedan chair to start driving. The front of the procession is a signpost marking the route of the divine tour, flanked by two horse-head gongs, followed by a class of Chaozhou gongs and drums, that is, "the first class of the gongs and drums", followed by holding an axe, battle-axe, sword, halberd, spear, sword, fork, mallet, and other instruments to open the way of the ceremonial guard, and then a team of incense burners and a few pairs of red lanterns, and only then appeared in the sedan chair carried by 8 people or 16 people, the Anji Shengwang. It is only at this point that there are three palanquins of Anji Shengwang, the First Lady and the Second Lady carried by 8 or 16 people each, followed by 12 Chaozhou gongs and drums. Residents in the neighborhood of Qinglong Temple at the South Gate got up in the middle of the night to welcome the gods and set off firecrackers. Due to the streets and lanes with the tour and burning incense to pray for the people are very crowded, the procession is slow, until dawn the palanquin into the city. After the palanquin people city, after 28 hours of parade. To the fourth day after the dawn tour throughout the city back to Luang. Chaozhou City Tour God in addition to Anji Wang, there are "Guandi Shengjun" of the day tour God, "Xuan Tian God" of the two-day tour God. Drag God Chaozhou City Tour Anji Wang, reflecting the prosperity of Chaoshan Tour God folklore, while Chenghai salt stove "Drag God", is unique to Chaoshan peculiar Tour God style. According to legend, during the Qianlong period, a fisherman from Yanzao village went to the seashore to "be seized" (a kind of fishing and shrimp operation.). Wanted, with bamboo gimlet preparation, with the net for the bottom, like a hoe skip, four or five feet long, when used into the water on the mud flats, forward, or with a bamboo tool near the mouth of the wanted to shake the fish and shrimp to drive the wanted) fished a statue of the gods, the heart of the amazement, and immediately threw it away. But after a short time, the idol was brought up again from his trap. The fisherman said to the idol, "If you can help me catch a basket of fish and shrimp today, I will take you back." Strangely enough, the fisherman did have a bumper harvest that day, catching a basket full of fish and shrimp, so he used a bamboo pole to hang the idol with the fish and shrimp on both ends to pick it home, and then placed the idol in a temple in the village. When the villagers saw that the idol had been added to the temple, they came to worship the idol one after another. There is a rule in Yanzao village that every year, lots have to be drawn to determine who will carry the palanquin to the shrine. Because carrying the palanquin is an auspicious omen, the winner of the lot must set up a banquet to invite people. The next year, the fisherman drew the lot, but his family was penniless, where could he get the money to hold a banquet? Thinking that it must be the statue of God to cause trouble, in a rage, when people do not know, with a rope to drag the statue of God from the temple down, and then dragged to the beach buried in the mud, go home to pack a few pieces of clothing, the night away, fled to the South Seas to go. Who knows that this year, the township has a good harvest, the fishing season is booming, every family increased production and income, the fishermen in the South China Sea also made a fortune. He thought in his heart, it must be that the god statue blessing blessing, so rushed to swim in the god before, return home, and drag the god buried god told the townspeople. The townspeople finally realized the truth: it must be that the god likes to drag, drag the township will be prosperous. Therefore, the townspeople dug out the idol from the beach and dragged it back to the temple. Every year after that, the god of the tour, in the lot of people first with a rope to tie the idol in the palanquin, the townspeople come to grab the idol, grabbed the idol and then tied up with a rope, dragged to the edge of the pond and thrown people in the water to soak. Carrying the god in order to prevent robbery, *** shirt, and coated with peanut oil on the body, the whole body slippery, so that it is not easy to be seized by people robbing the god. In the "rob God" and "protect God" this funny entertainment-style competition in the fight, the idol was tortured to limp feet and broken hands, bruises all over the body, the face is completely different. In the end, the idol was snatched and dragged down to the pond because of the huge number of people carrying the idol. After a few days, the statue was picked up and restored, and the golden body was remodeled for worship. Nowadays, the saying, "Master Yanzao owes us a lesson" has become a proverb in Chaoshan, which means, "If we don't teach him a lesson, he won't come to his senses", which is not the same as the intention of the villagers of Yanzao, who dragged the god to ask for God's blessing and blessing. Other Related Carrying God Statues The people who carry these statues are very particular in many places, and they are men who have been newly married or added to their families in the past year, and if some of these people have not come back from abroad, they will also ask their close friends and relatives to carry them on behalf of them. Because lifting the idol is a symbol of honor for the people in Chaoshan, there is also a dress code when lifting the idol, wear red clothes and pants for good luck and add the foot binding, after all, lifting the idol is not an easy task, plus the foot binding can save the strength of the feet, and more friends will also have a friend to accompany the side so that they can be replaced at any time. Flag bearers In addition to the idol bearers, there are also some flag bearers, who are usually good-looking children and teenagers in the village, usually no older than 15 years old. These dart flag bearers will be carefully dressed for the God Tournament, and most of them will put on the ancient robes like the actors and actresses, pretending to be military generals or scribes, and also pretending to be gentlemen, and some of them will put on the cheongsams for the women. All in all, when traveling to the gods, they are all dressed up, and the dart flags they carry are usually embroidered with phrases of good wishes, such as good harvests and good weather, etc., and there will be a head dart in the front of these people, called the head dart, which is filled by the person who donates the most money to the dart and is usually followed by the person who carries the statue of the god. Drums and gongs In the procession, there is also a drum and gong team, which is usually led by a big drum, with other instruments such as flutes, erhu, gongs and cymbals, etc. The drums are usually played by the older and more experienced elders in the village, and the others are gradually selected from the talented youngsters in the village in recent years, and they start to train in the two or three months before the Yushen Race until the Yushen Race starts to be officially played. Lantern Tour There is also a part of the tournament called "Lantern Tour," in which everyone in a village can participate, and there is usually at least one person from each family, and each person carries a lantern in his or her hand and travels along the route that he or she has traveled during the day. Among the lantern holders, there is a most special one, namely the head lantern, which is the same as the head dart, and is also held by the person who donates the most money in the village, and it is a pair of lanterns with high lights, and all the participants in the lantern tour follow behind. During the tournament, the village will invite the Chaozhou opera troupe to open a few days of Chaozhou opera, there will also be an open-air movie.