China News Service, Haikou, March 19th: "Army Parade" in Junpo, people at home and abroad commemorate Mrs. Xian in Qiongdao
China News Service reporter Zhang Qianyi
When the people of Xinpo Town, Haikou City, holding military flags and wearing "battle uniforms", recreated the grand scene of Madam Xian ordering troops on the battlefield 1,400 years ago, history and the present intersect at this moment.
From March 18th to 21st, the annual Haikou Madam Xian Cultural Festival reached its climax. People at home and abroad spontaneously gathered here to pay homage to and commemorate Madam Xian, who is known as "the first heroine of China".
On March 18, the Haikou Lady Xian Cultural Festival "Army Parade" was held in Xinpo Town, Haikou City.
Photo by China News Service reporter Luo Yunfei
Mrs. Xian was a famous leader of the Lingnan Li people in the sixth century AD. She lived in the Liang, Chen and Sui dynasties and devoted her life to national unification and national unity.
She restored the system of counties and counties in Hainan, spread the culture and production technology of the Central Plains, and opened a new page in the history of the joint development and construction of Hainan by the Li, Han and other ethnic groups.
People in Hainan spontaneously organized religious and religious activities to commemorate Madam Xian, and gradually developed into the Qiongdao traditional folk festival "Junpo Festival".
During the Junpo Festival, the most solemn ceremony is the "Army Parade".
At the Sinpo Town Dressing Ceremony, the parade team was divided into the "Customs Team" and the "Armed Team".
The "Customs Team" was led by two handsome men holding a big flag with the word "Xian" and a warrior beating a big gong. They were followed by more than 10 young people holding handsome flags, and among them were alternately players playing gongs and flower baskets. child.
The "Armed Team" is a group of young men armed with long sticks, knives, guns, swords, halberds, palladium and other weapons. They dress up in ancient costumes and escort the statue of Madame Xian in a mighty parade in Singapore.
After the "Military Parade" began, everyone carried the statue of Madame Xian and rushed to the "Pointing General Platform". With loud shouts, they seated her in her seat, and then the parade team began to perform.
The event was very lively and people crowded in.
On March 18, the Haikou Lady Xian Cultural Festival "Army Parade" was held in Xinpo Town, Haikou City.
The picture shows children carrying flower baskets in the parade.
Photo by China News Service reporter Luo Yunfei
"The Junpo Festival is more lively than the Chinese New Year. It is the event we have been most looking forward to since childhood." Liang Jian, a local young man, waited by the road early in the morning to watch the "Army Parade".
He told reporters that Mrs. Xian's spirit of being "patriotic and caring for the people, brave and strong, and helping those in need" enjoys high prestige in the hearts of the people and has won their love and admiration.
During the Junpo Festival, every household in Xinpo Town places a flag in front of their door to pray for "safety for the family and prosperity for the family".
Liang Jian said that most of the various rituals of the Junpo Festival are related to the legend of Mrs. Xian. For example, the Baitong Order Flag has the legend that "if an order is passed down, everything goes smoothly".
Mulberry leaves, orange branches, taro and other plants are the most popular in Xinpo Town at this time.
Legend has it that Mrs. Xian advocated a variety of sweet potato, taro and other crops and provided seedlings free of charge. Later, people put the harvest fruits on the roadside to tell her good news.
"Sweet potatoes reproduce quickly, which symbolizes many descendants and a prosperous career; taro, which is large, symbolizes stable development; leeks, which have long roots, symbolize longevity; mulberry and orange have the same pronunciation as wealth and auspiciousness in Hainanese, symbolizing good luck and wealth." Wang Haiqiang, a native of Singapore, said, At this time of year, they also invite relatives and friends from all over the country to gather and celebrate the festival lively.
Mrs. Xian has a wide range of believers in western Guangdong, Hainan, and even overseas Chinese.
Madam Xian's beliefs and customs have been included in the list of representative items of China's national intangible cultural heritage.
There are now more than 400 Madame Xian temples of varying sizes across Hainan, covering almost the entire island.
Ancient festivals are becoming a new highlight of local tourism. Many tourists from other places come here to experience the folk customs that have lasted for thousands of years. In their opinion, "it is like watching a folk custom drama of 'time travel'. The more traditional it is, the more interesting it is." (End) )