Zhejiang Cultural Tourism Observation: What is the significance of offering sacrifices to King Qian?

　　Chinanews, Hangzhou, February 11th, title: Zhejiang Cultural Tourism Observation: What is the significance of offering sacrifices to King Qian?

　　Reporter Wang Titi

　　Recently, the "Lantern Festival Qianwang Sacrifice" was held in Qianwang Temple in Hangzhou, Zhejiang.

The descendants of the Qian family from all over the country and the virtuous citizens of Hangzhou gathered here to pay homage to the "three generations and five kings" of the Wuyue Kingdom of the Five Dynasties.

　　Wuyue Kingdom is one of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, with Hangzhou as its capital.

The "three generations and five kings" refer to the founder of Wuyue Kingdom, Wusu Wang Qianli, his son Wenmu Wang Qian Yuanguan, his grandson Zhongxian Wang Qian Hongzuo, Zhongxun Wang Qian Hongyi, and Zhongyi Wang Qian Hongchu.

　　During the war-torn Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Wuyue Qian's "three generations and five kings" implemented the policy of "doing good things to China, protecting the environment and the people", vigorously building water conservancy, actively developing agricultural business and expanding maritime trade, which made great contributions to the social and economic development of the Yangtze River Delta. important contribution.

　　"Especially the urban pattern of Hangzhou and the landscape of the West Lake, Wuyue King Qian cannot be avoided." said Qian Huairong, the successor of the Zhejiang Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Project "Qian Wang Ji" and Secretary-General of Hangzhou Qian Liu Research Association.

　　According to his introduction, King Qian built Hangzhou and dredged the West Lake three times, forming the current basic pattern of the main urban area of ​​Hangzhou and the West Lake.

After 86 years of governance by "Three Dynasties and Five Kings", Hangzhou became a scenic spot in the southeast in the troubled times at that time.

After thousands of years, the relics of Wu and Yue are still scattered all over Hangzhou, becoming scenic spots and cultural relics, and also playing an important role in the urban appearance of Hangzhou, especially the West Lake landscape.

During the period of Wuyue Kingdom, Hangzhou had 15,380 households in the Sui Dynasty, and reached "100,000 households" in the heyday.

　　In the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, Qian Hongchu, the grandson of Qian Liu, accepted the land and returned to the Song Dynasty, realizing the peaceful reunification of the country, which was admired by the people at that time and later generations.

　　To commemorate the historical achievements of "Three Generations and Five Kings", Hangzhou people and Qian's descendants have held Lantern Festival sacrifices in Biaozhong Temple (Qianwang Temple) since the Song Shenzong period, and it has become a unique folk activity in Hangzhou.

　　It is understood that the descendants of the Qian family have been offering sacrifices to their ancestors in the Lantern Festival since ancient times, and it has a history of hundreds of years.

In the meantime, the "Lantern Festival Qianwang Sacrifice" activity was also interrupted for more than 140 years, and it was not resumed until 2008, and was listed as an intangible cultural heritage in Zhejiang Province in 2009.

　　So, is the significance of holding the "Yuanxiao Qianwang Sacrifice" every year just to restore traditional folk customs and commemorate the historical achievements of "three generations and five kings"?

　　The answer, obviously not.

　　Qian Huairong said that encouraging family traditions and preaching family precepts is the real meaning of holding the "Lantern Festival Qianwang Festival" every year.

　　At present, with the development of social economy and culture, the inheritance of traditional Chinese culture is gradually being valued by all levels of society.

Especially in recent years, the country has vigorously advocated the construction of a good family tradition.

Descendants of the Qian family read "Qian's Family Instructions" Photo courtesy of the Waters Management Office of the West Lake Scenic Area

　　Different from the ethics education limited to family members and the general family precepts at the family level, "Qian's Family Precepts" teaches the children and grandchildren from four aspects: the individual, the family, the society, and the country, turning the family into a country, Good self-cultivation has formed a classic family tradition of advocating literature, advocating learning, and emphasizing both ability and morality.

　　"Family tradition is the code of conduct and way of life pursued by the family and the family. It is also the value orientation on which the family survives and the cultural personality displayed by the members." Qian Huairong said that the descendants of the Qian family have come forth in large numbers, such as Qian Xuesen, Qian Qi Chen et al., this is also closely related to the inheritance of "Qian Family Instructions".

　　Therefore, reading "Qian's Family Instructions" has become one of the core contents of the "Yuanxiao Qianwang Sacrifice" of Qianwang Temple in Hangzhou, and it is also a reserved program for the ancestor worship activities of Qian's descendants over the years, which has been passed down for more than a thousand years.

　　Qian Huairong said that the self-cultivation and rules of life advocated by "Qian Family Instructions" are basically consistent with the core socialist values.

Through the inheritance of "Qian's Family Instructions", the "Yuanxiao Qianwang Festival" allows contemporary people to learn how to behave, how to run a family, how to practice public welfare, contribute to society, how to serve the government, love the people, and serve the country.

"This is not only the best study and practice of the socialist core values, but also adds the connotation of the times to the sacrificial activities."

　　According to Chen Huawen, vice president of the Zhejiang Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Association, the ritual activities that have sprung up in various places such as the "Lantern Festival Qianwang Sacrifice", such as the Yellow Emperor sacrifice and Confucius sacrifice, are of great significance.

Such sacrificial activities are neither "superstition" nor "show", but they entrust cultural beliefs, expressing not only the nostalgia and admiration for the sages, but also the declaration of family affection that blood is thicker than water, and is a reflection of their moral value. The expression of identity, in the deepest part of emotion, is the expression of national cultural self-confidence and the return of national cultural traditions.

　　At the same time, he also believes that the sacrificial activities that are constantly endowed with connotations in the new era, with the help of solemn and standardized etiquette procedures, allow people to devote themselves physically and mentally, "observe" them deeply and carefully, understand the true meaning of sacrifice, truly approach, return with sincerity, and let the heart To be purified and baptized.

It has special significance and value for the formation and identification of national outlook, ethnic outlook, historical outlook and cultural outlook.

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