Ceremony of the mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor

The name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Yellow Emperor Mausoleum ceremony

Applicant: Huangling County, Shaanxi Province

Item No.: 480

Project No.: Ⅹ - 32

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: folk customs

Region: Shaanxi Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Huangling County, Shaanxi Province

Protection unit: Huangling County Intangible Cultural Heritage Office (Huangling County Culture and Art Center)

A brief introduction to the ceremony of the mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor:

Applicant: Huangling County, Shaanxi Province

Huangling County is located in the middle of Shaanxi Province and the south end of Yan'an City. It is named after the mausoleum of Xuanyuan Yellow Emperor, the ancestor of the Chinese nation.

Xuanyuan Yellow Emperor was the first in history, created Chinese culture, and was regarded as the ancestor of the Chinese nation. In order to commemorate and remember the ancestor spirit, the ancestors had a grand sacrifice. According to Yishi, "when the Yellow Emperor collapsed, his ministers left to take a few sticks to worship.". In 422 BC, Duke Ling of Qin made a sacrifice to the Yellow Emperor. After the Han Dynasty, sacrificing to the Yellow Emperor was established by the imperial court.

In 1911, Dr. Sun Yat Sen took office as the interim president, and sent people to the mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor to worship his ancestors. During the Anti Japanese War, the Kuomintang and the Communist Party paid tribute to the mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor several times, and Chairman Mao Zedong personally wrote the memorial.

In the long-term practice, the sacrificial activities in the mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor have formed a certain scale, format and ritual, which can be roughly divided into official (public) sacrifice and people's sacrifice.

The present ceremony of public sacrifice to the mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor is solemn and solemn. The layout of the site of the mausoleum is as follows: a banner is hung on the pavilion, and the inscription "ceremony of public sacrifice to the mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor" is written on it. Hanging banners are hung inside the pavilion, and couplets newly written every year are hung on the columns on both sides, There are sacrificial utensils, fresh fruits, flowers, candles, flour flowers, etc. on the sacrificial table. The rituals of the mausoleum are: 1. Stand in silence; 2. The chief mourner and the accompanist are in place; 3. Play ancient music; 4. Offer flower baskets and wreaths; 5. Make three bows; 6. Read the sacrificial texts (read by the chief mourner); 7. Speak; 8. Set off firecrackers and walk around the mausoleum; 9. Take pictures; 10. Plant Memorial trees.

There is no fixed ceremony before and after the Qingming Festival and during the Chongyang Festival, which is usually determined by the wishes and customs of the worshipers. The procedures of folk sacrifice are as follows: 1. Stand in silence; 2. Representatives from all walks of life are in place; 3. Beat drums and bells; 4. Play ancient music; 5. Offer sacrifices (offering flower baskets and wreaths, offering sacrifices, incense, burning paper, drinking, etc.); 6. Make three bows; 7. Respectfully read sacrificial texts; 8. Set off firecrackers and walk around the Mausoleum (led by the drum band, followed by the main and accompanying people); 9. Take photos of mausoleum sacrifice; 10. Plant Memorial trees. In addition to maintaining some of the contents of the public sacrifice activities, the folk sacrifice activities highlight the folk nature, and increase the drum band, suona team, honor guard, and Sansheng team.

After the founding of new China, especially since the reform and opening up, more and more attention has been paid to the sacrifice of Huangdi mausoleum by Chinese people at home and abroad, and the scale of sacrifice has become more and more grand. The sacrifice of Huangdi mausoleum has become a major activity to inherit Chinese civilization, unite Chinese people, seek the reunification of the motherland, and create a better life.

Chinese PinYin : Huang Di Ling Ji Dian