Zhangjiagang Jincun Temple Fair

Jiangsu
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Jincun Village, Tangqiao Town, Zhangjiagang City has clean soil and water, simple folk customs, harmonious people's livelihood and prosperous temple fairs. Jincun Temple Fair, also known as Yongchang Temple Fair, has a long history. It began in the Song Dynasty. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, due to the prosperity of the Jin family business and its reputation in the four townships, the Jincun Temple Fair became better and better. At that time, the temple fair was mainly funded by the local gentry and the heads of the natural villages. There were arm gongs, noodle shops, high-foot shops, incense shops, red clothes shops, and blue clothes shops in Jincun. The early Jincun Temple Fair did not have the form of "going out". It was just a performance of folk customs and cultural programs such as dragon lanterns, flower baskets, lake boats, lotus Xiang, and Taibao sedan chairs in the front and back streets of Jincun Town. The scene was spectacular and very lively. After the 37th year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty (1559), in order to commemorate the local anti-Japanese national hero Jin Qi, the "going out" form was established. The purpose was to promote the heroic deeds of Jin Qi who sacrificed in the anti-Japanese war and infiltrate patriotic ideological education. The "out meeting" is held in the rural avenues, front streets, back streets and other places around Jincun. It usually starts from the temple grounds, Xiaoqiaotou, Xinzao Bridge (Gaojia Village), No. 10 Bridge of Yangfulu, Panqi Bridge, Jincun Tangnan Dachang, and then returns to the temple for sacrifice. According to local elders, the Jincun Temple Fair in 1946 was held in a grand manner to celebrate the victory of the eight-year war of resistance against Japan. The procession was very long, with flags, colorful flags, ten gunners, gong and drum teams, first-line signs, and yamen runners clearing the way in front; followed closely by dragon dance teams, lion dance teams, lake boats, flower-carrying poles, lotus-beating teams, waist drum teams, flower sedans, horse-watching teams, eight immortals, clowns, Taibao sedans, stilt-walking teams, noodle-opening clubs, arm gong clubs, folk music ensembles, flower baskets, stage pavilions, pavilions, incense pavilions, incense worship teams, red-clothes clubs, blue-clothes clubs, drummers, hand guards (dragging bamboo strips), golden seven statues, Qiansheng Xiaowang, etc. There were 400 to 500 people participating in the "exit". In normal years, there were 200 to 300 people participating in the "exit", and this form of "exit" continued until 1957. Since the reform and opening up, with the development of rural economy and the improvement of people's living standards, the Jincun Temple Fair was restored in 1995. This is a mass sacrificial activity based on Buddhist beliefs and a heritage activity of Jincun local folk customs and culture, with an indestructible national spiritual driving force, cohesion and centripetal force. In the year of peace and prosperity, celebrating the peace and prosperity of the country and the harvest, the Jincun Temple Fair in 2008 was very lively, large in scale and unprecedented in grandeur. There were 37 non-governmental organizations and performance groups at the "out meeting", with a total of 751 people participating in the performance. 37 kinds of folk culture, such as traditional dragon lantern, lion dance, lake boat, flower basket, lotus, sedan chair, Taibao sedan chair, table pavilion, stage pavilion, folk music ensemble, and majestic gongs and drums, were integrated into one furnace. The performance team was 1 km long from head to tail, and traveled 10 kilometers on the main street of Jincun Town and the surrounding rural roads. The performance was magnificent, with colorful flags flying, gongs and drums roaring, and people along the way set off firecrackers to greet them. People all sighed at the profoundness of the Chinese folk culture. These contents are positive, the forms are flexible and diverse, and the programs are rich and colorful, which are popular with the masses. This has a promoting role and positive significance in cultivating the sentiments of the people, improving the quality of the people, inheriting folk culture, protecting and developing the ancient cultural village of thousands of years, and building a harmonious society. It should be explored, summarized, publicized and promoted. Let this good seedling of temple fair folk culture, which is deeply rooted in the fertile soil of Jincun Village, thrive and be passed on without being interrupted or lost.

Intangible culture related to the heritage

China tourist attractions related to the heritage