Siyang Mazu Cultural Park

Siyang Mazu Cultural Park

Siyang Mazu Cultural Park is located in Siyang, Jiangsu Province, an ancient country with a history of more than 2000 years.

Mazu Cultural Park is located on lover island in the southwest of Siyang shiplock. It is located in the middle stream of the Grand Canal, surrounded by water on three sides. The whole landscape structure is one axis, one ring, two centers and one area. A 32.3-meter-high three sided statue of Mazu is located at the westernmost end of the island. It is also the only three sided statue of Mazu in the world. The overall planning land area of Mazu Cultural Park is 41528.8 square meters. The main buildings include Mazu square, Mazu statue, Mountain Gate, bell and Drum Tower, Mazu hall, Guanyin hall and three stars Hall of fortune and longevity. Now completed, it will be a rare multi-cultural tourist attraction integrating water conservancy, ecology, scenery, Buddhism and Taoism among more than 5000 Mazu temples in the world. It can be called a unique cultural landmark on the Qianli canal. Siyang Mazu Cultural Park is a bright pearl on the Qianli canal, the only Mazu cultural heritage on the canal. A pattern of "Huiju temple in Kunshan in the South and Mazu Cultural Park in Siyang in the north" has been formed.

Siyang Mazu Cultural Park started construction on September 6, 2012 and officially opened on May 20, 2014. Now it is a national AAA scenic spot. On December 9, 2019, Siyang Mazu Cultural Park was degraded from 4a to 3a.

Cultural origins

The canal goes out of Huiji gate and into the intersection of Qinghuang River and Huanghe River. It goes through the Yellow River and into the upper canal. Forty miles to the west is Taoyuan County in ancient Sishui country. Now, Zhongxing town in Siyang County. The canal passes through the city. On the ancient Luoma street beside the canal, there is an ancient building, called Houtian palace, also known as "Min business mansion". In the old days, it was a Taoist temple dedicated to Houtian Mazu. For three into five bay system, there are existing front temple and main hall. The front wall of the front hall is inlaid with two ancient stone tablets of "Heqing" and "Haiyan" to wish the world peace. The stone pillars and stone foundations of the back hall are exquisitely carved, retaining the architectural style of Southern Fujian. The beams and columns of gold and Phoebe are exquisitely carved, and the workmanship is superb. According to Professor Li Xinjian of Southeast University, the building should have been built in the early Qing Dynasty and has a history of more than 300 years. It is one of the cultural relics of the Grand Canal. It is also the only well preserved Mazu cultural building in the middle of the Grand Canal (from Huai'an to Siyang). It is an important example of the spread of Mazu culture in the hinterland of Northern Jiangsu

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During the Qing Dynasty, Siyang Zhongxing Town, as a water transport hub, was a place where officials, businessmen and boat owners of Cao Gang sailed. Either they went to sanzha in the south to experience risks, or they came from the north to be shocked. All of them had the psychological need of praying and looking forward. Some Fujian people built a palace in Luoma street to worship the God of the sea, which was called "Tianfei Palace" at first, and later renamed "Tianhou Palace" with Emperor Kangxi. After three hundred years of Anti Japanese War and cultural revolution, the front and back halls of Tianhou palace have not been destroyed and can be preserved. In recent years, Tianhou palace has been listed as a cultural relic protection unit and designated as a Buddhist Taoist temple. With the help of Buddhist fund-raising, benefactors and strong support from government departments, the Tianhou palace has been preliminarily restored. In 2005, the sacrificial activities for Mazu were resumed. In September 2009, the president of Siyang Buddhist Association and the abbot of Tianhou Temple went to Mazu temple in Meizhou Island, Fujian Province to visit their ancestors and establish contact with the ancestral court.

After several years of development and interpretation, mazuze has been recognized by all over the world, the ancient and modern power of Defu, the holy virtue of Zhaozhao, and more and more believers. In 2009, the mountain gate, bell tower and drum tower were restored. Since the spring of 2009, the rear hall has been restored in line with the principle of repairing the old as before, restoring the original appearance of history. At the same time, a 9-meter-high and 9-meter-high stone statue of Mazu has been built, which gives people a sense of dignity, solemnity and meaningful spirit. A grand opening ceremony was held in 2009. Believers from Nanjing, Huai'an, Suqian, Lianyungang and some businessmen from Fujian, Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Taiwan, who are developing in Northern Jiangsu, gather in Siyang Tianhou palace to carry forward Mazu culture, pray for the safety and well-being of Putian year by year, raise Tianhou, strengthen Shengwei, form a good relationship, and participate in the grand event together.

Historically, the Qing Dynasty is a very important stage in the development of Mazu belief, "national affairs, only worship and military.". In the whole Qing Dynasty, Mazu was granted a great deal of commendation and nobility. Mazu was promoted from Tianfei to Tianhou and Tianhou shenglao, and included in the national sacrificial ceremony, which made it more sacred and promoted the era of Mazu worship. It was highly respected by the emperor and courtiers, which had a lot to do with the Qing regime's regard of water transport and river works as national priorities, the importance of national economy and people's livelihood, and the importance of maintaining the rule of the regime. It was also inseparable from the special role of Northern Jiangsu in the special geographical location of the intersection of the Yellow River and Huaihe River.

During Kangxi's six tours to the south, he went to Qingkou every time to inspect river works and water transport. Besides, he went to Huiji Temple many times to worship and "seal the empress of heaven". Emperor Yongzheng, Emperor Qianlong and Emperor Jiaqing all worshiped Mazu, but the praise and seal to Mazu reached the point of no more. Emperor Jiaqing established Huiji temple in Yuanmingyuan, the Royal Garden, imitating the regulations of Jiangnan. He was always worried about this and did not dare to slack off his worship of Empress Dowager for a day. He issued sacrificial rites to local officials in the spring and autumn, and included them in the sacrificial rites, completing the complete pattern of worshiping Mazu in the Qing Dynasty.

In the hearts of some people, Mazu is a kind lady who benefits all living beings. She is not only an amiable God in the history of Chinese religion, but also a great goddess representing the spirit of the Chinese nation and a protector of the Chinese nation. After Emperor Yongzheng granted Mazu empress as "Empress Dowager", the legends of Empress Dowager's good deeds were rooted in the simple feelings of the people, which had the distinctive regional characteristics and high cultural value of the intersection area of Huanghuai, Yunsi and Northern Jiangsu. The unique local folk culture formed by this is integrated into the Chinese Mazu culture, and the local people are spiritually benefited by Mazu.

In order to better inherit the history and culture, and further promote the construction of the new canal city, Siyang County plans to build the Mazu Cultural Park, the water transport culture of the Grand Canal, including Mazu square, Mazu hall and three Mazu Statues (Mazu's birthday is March 23 of the lunar calendar), which is the first Mazu Cultural Park on the Qianli canal and one of the rare Mazu temples in the world See the water conservancy ecological scenery, Buddhism, Taoism as one of the cultural chain and tourist attractions.

Mazu

Mazu (original name: Lin Mo Niang)

Lin Mo Niang was born in 960 on Meizhou Island, Putian City, Fujian Province. This kind-hearted folk woman, who helped people predict the weather, collect medicine and cure diseases, and rescue shipwrecks during her lifetime, died when she was 28 years old. Fishermen on the island built a temple for her and worshipped her as the God of the sea. In the Song Dynasty (1123 AD), she was honored by the imperial court, and was successively honored as the princess of heaven, the queen of heaven and the Virgin Mary of heaven, which gradually became a conventional folk belief. The belief custom is composed of sacrificial rites, folk customs and stories.

Mazu, also known as Princess of heaven, Queen of heaven, goddess of heaven and mother of mother, is a god believed by seamen, sailors, tourists, businessmen and fishermen of all ages. In ancient times, when sailing on the sea, it was necessary to sacrifice Matsu before sailing, pray for the wind and safety, and set up the shrine of Matsu on the ship. Mazu's position as a full-time sea god was officially established in the Yuan Dynasty after she was granted the title of imperial concubine, and was granted the title of Queen of heaven in the Qing Dynasty. All previous dynasties canonized from the need of political rule or the economic purpose of maritime transportation and trade. With the development of Fujian's overseas transportation and the spread of overseas immigrants, Mazu belief has spread all over the world.

Architectural features

Siyang Mazu cultural park includes:

Mazu square

Memorial Gateway

Goddess' Palace

Mazu Hall

Buddism godness Guanyin Temple

Three statues of Mazu (32.3 meters high, Mazu's birthday falls on March 23 of the lunar calendar)

Series of activities

On May 20, 2014, Siyang County Government held a grand opening ceremony in Siyang Mazu Cultural Park. Chen Yunlin, former director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and former chairman of the Association for relations across the Taiwan Straits; Wang Rongping, former chairman of the SEF and former chairman of the third three sessions of the SEF; Lin Guoliang, executive vice president of the Chinese Mazu Cultural Exchange Association; LAN Shaomin, then Secretary of the Suqian Municipal Party committee and director of the Standing Committee of the Suqian Municipal People's Congress; Wang Tianqi, deputy secretary of the municipal Party committee and mayor; Li Rongjin, Secretary of the Siyang County Party committee and director of the Standing Committee of the Suqian Municipal People's Congress; Lin Jinbang, chairman of Mazu temple in Meizhou Island, Fujian, and he Dahuang, chairman of Fengtian temple in Xingang, Taiwan, attended the opening ceremony. Liu Haihong, deputy secretary of Siyang County Party committee and head of Siyang County, presided over the opening ceremony.

Before the official opening of the garden, a series of activities such as Fenling and Kaiguang were held.

Fenling

On the afternoon of May 18, a ceremony was held to welcome the statue of Mazu in the temple of heaven in Xingang, Taiwan. It was also an important part of the opening activities of Mazu Cultural Park.

Kaiguang

Mazu Cultural Park opened in full dress on May 20. As one of the activities of opening the park, on the morning of May 18, Kaiguang ceremony was held in Mazu Cultural Park. Mazu temple in Meizhou, Fujian Province presided over the Kaiguang ceremony of Notre Dame hall and master fax presided over the Kaiguang ceremony of Guanyin Hall.

Opening ceremony

The opening ceremony

Statue of Mazu unveiled

At the ceremony, Chen Yunlin, Jiang Bingkun, LAN Shaomin and Wang Rongping jointly unveiled the statue of Mazu

Chinese PinYin : Si Yang Ma Zu Wen Hua Yuan