Chinanews.com, Shanghai, January 19th (Reporter Chen Jing) The Spring Festival of the Year of the Rabbit is coming. Master Xie Rongguang, the third-generation inheritor of Shanghai’s intangible cultural heritage "Xu Xing Steamed Cake", and the people and volunteers of Jiangqiao Town on the 19th Make auspicious Chinese New Year steamed cakes together in Shanghai Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple, and inherit intangible cultural heritage together.

　　At noon on the same day, the priests and volunteers of the monastery sent the just-made auspicious steamed cakes and the eight-treasure rice made by the monastery to the Taoist class of Jiangqiao Cleaning Company to send blessings to the sanitation workers who will stick to their posts during the Chinese New Year.

"The cake is sweet, waxy, loose, and soft... eat it in your mouth, and you will be happy in your heart." A sanitation worker said.

　　In the Shanghai area, the custom of eating steamed cakes has a long history.

During the Spring Festival and the Double Ninth Festival, folks have to steam and eat steamed cakes, which means "steaming day by day, high every day", "cake" (the homonym of "high") and "cake" are prosperous for the new year.

Xuxing Steamed Cake has a history of more than 300 years. In 2015, Jiading District included "Xuxing Steamed Cake" in the district's intangible cultural heritage. In 2019, "Xuxing Steamed Cake" won the title of Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage.

　　Master Xie Rongguang told reporters that making cakes seems not difficult, but in fact it is very particular.

Steamed cakes are made from a mixture of glutinous rice and japonica rice, and are made through seven steps: soaking rice, washing rice, grinding rice, sifting powder, mixing sugar water, rubbing powder and steaming.

Steamed cakes are divided into two categories: brown sugar cakes and white sugar cakes. Among them, white sugar cakes can be supplemented with walnuts, red dates, peanuts, raisins, pine nuts, winter melon sugar, red and green silk, etc. according to people's tastes and hobbies. Cakes of different flavors.

Master Xie Rongguang makes steamed cakes.

Photo courtesy of Shanghai Wanfo Temple

　　In Liuheju of Wanfo Temple, master Xie and his colleagues introduced and demonstrated the uniqueness of this "intangible cultural heritage" craft. I saw that the masters were skilled in their movements, soaking rice, sifting powder, mixing sugar, and sprinkled with various The raw materials are put into the steamer and steamed for a while, and the delicious steamed cakes are freshly baked.

"When I came to Wanfo Temple today, I am very happy that so many people are willing to learn to be our intangible cultural heritage and like our steamed cakes. I wish you all a happy, happy and reunited new year after eating steamed cakes." Master Xie said.

　　Master Hui Chan, the abbot of Wanfo Temple in Shanghai, told reporters that in recent years, Wanfo Temple has been committed to inheriting traditional Chinese culture. Happy year, sweet and joyful.

　　It is reported that for many years, Wanfo Temple has combined the custom of praying for blessings in the New Year with public welfare and charity activities.

Since 2015, Wanfo Temple has launched the "WeChat Wishing, Fingertip Blessing" activity during the Spring Festival every year: every time people send a blessing message on Wanfo Temple's WeChat blessing platform, the temple will donate one yuan (RMB, the same below) to target For public charity.

This year, all the money raised by Wanfo Temple will also be used for poverty alleviation in the community.

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