What do you mean by sacrifice?

In ancient times, "the great event of a country lies in worshipping and conquering", and offering sacrifices is as important as protecting the country.

The worship of Emperor Yan has a long history. Historical records? According to "The Closed Sutra", Qin Linggong spent three years (423) in Wuyang, where he "sacrificed to Emperor Yan". This is the earliest record of offering sacrifices to Emperor Yan, but it is not the earliest sacrifice. Sacrifice to Emperor Yan began with the Yellow Emperor. "Road history? Postscript says that the Yellow Emperor "worships Emperor Yan and Chen". Xuanyuan Huangdi Biography also said: Huangdi "built a temple to worship Emperor Yan."

Since the Yellow Emperor fell, the heel of the past dynasties has increased China and worshipped China. "General Code" contains: Five Houses of Yu Shun Worship Five Emperors. In the Zhou Dynasty, the suburbs were worshipped in the summer, and the Ming Hall was enjoyed in the autumn, and Mitsuki Luda was built (to worship the flood and drought). At the end of the year, he increased his past income and paid tribute to the five emperors in the spring. Or dedicated to Shennong. Qin respects the "Four Temples" gods, and Yan Di matches them. There were "Five Temples" and "Nandi Yan Di" in the early Han Dynasty. "Sacrifice for nine days", Emperor Yan represents "scorching the sun in the south". King attacked the old system and worshipped the five emperors in the suburbs. "Most of the charters of the post-Zhou Dynasty were based on the Zhou system. In the first month, I worshipped God Hao in Yuanshan, and the first emperor Shennong matched the five emperors and worshipped astronomy. " In the early Tang Dynasty, it was stipulated that the dome should be worshipped every winter solstice, and Chi Di should be accompanied by five gods. In the sixth year of Tianbao in Tang Dynasty (747), "Huang San set up temples, five emperors set up temples, and ministers offered sacrifices in due course". After the Tang and Song Dynasties, Yan Di's worship of Shennong was more extensive and influential. However, most of these sacrifices were held in the seat of the kingship center.

I don't know when the tomb was provided. "Tongdian" said: "There was no tomb sacrifice three generations ago, and it was not until the Qin Dynasty that a tomb was built next to the tomb. Because there are gardens in the Qin tomb, it is called the tomb. Historical records? "Closed Sutra Zen" said: In the first year of Yuanfeng (-1 10), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty toured the northern part of Shuofang to "sacrifice the bridge hill of the Huangdi Mausoleum", but did not say that there was a garden bed. Accordingly, the sacrifice of the mausoleum should be after the Han Dynasty.

Emperor Yan's mausoleum is located in the south, far from the center of kingship, but the sacrifice of the mausoleum is not later than the Han Dynasty. "Road history? Postscript contains: Emperor Yan Shennong "buried Chawei Village in Changsha, named Chaling, the so-called tomb of the Emperor, ("County Records "cloud, Emperor Yan Shennong buried Changsha, the tail of Changsha ... There is Wan Li Shaci in this county, so it is called Changsha." Century "Cloud, Shennong Buries Chaling." "Heng Tu Jing" cloud, Chaling people, the so-called valley tea also. The names of tombs are all based on the tombs of ancient emperors. It smells like the Tang Dynasty (with old records of the Tang Dynasty). "Mao Fuyun dreamed of meeting the emperor, so he prayed for him, and when he arrived in the south, he was worshiped, and the sequence of three sacrifices was long (the temple was built on the skin of Luyuan in Le Kang Township, and it was built in five years of gratitude ...).

The location of Yandiling belongs to Jingchu in ancient times and Changsha County in Han Dynasty, Guo Da 180 in Changsha. Some studies believe that the "Wan Li Shaci" named after Changsha belongs to Emperor Yan, which needs to be verified. However, in the fifth year of Emperor Gaozu (-202), it is credible to set up Chaling County (Yanling County is the ancient Chaling County) after the mausoleum was named. "Road history? Postscript: Yan Di Shennongjia in Yanling County has a mausoleum in ancient times, a temple in Han Dynasty, a temple in Tang Dynasty and a temple in Song Dynasty.

In the Song Dynasty, the worship of Emperor Yan's mausoleum became a system, but it never stopped in the Yuan Dynasty and became more frequent in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. There were 13 "imperial sacrifices" in Ming dynasty and 39 in Qing dynasty.

During the Republic of China, the county government held festivals in the Spring and Autumn Period or at the request of the county people. The Hunan Provincial Government paid a memorial service to the Mausoleum on June1940+1October 65438. Since then, it has been interrupted for more than 40 years for various reasons. Yan Di Mausoleum was restored. 1993, Hunan Provincial People's Government paid a public sacrifice to Yan Di Mausoleum. At present, a sacrificial pattern has been formed in which provinces and cities are responsible for public sacrifices and counties are responsible for Tomb-Sweeping Day people's sacrifices. Since 1986, Yandiling has held more than 60 large-scale sacrificial activities, and more than 3 million people at home and abroad have come to pay homage to the ancestral graves.

As for folk sacrifice, it has a long history, a vast territory and various forms. The time of sacrifice varies according to local customs. In the south, there is a wax festival to bless the Spring Festival; Tomb-sweeping and ancestor worship in Qingming and winter solstice: birthday sacrifice on April 26 of the lunar calendar; The worship of "tasting the new" at the beginning of new grain; In case of natural disasters, natural disaster sacrifices, etc.

Why is an ancient ancestor, a secluded tomb, so attractive?

Book of rites? The Sacrifice Law says: "The system of the husband and the sage is also a sacrifice. If the law applies to the people, it will be sacrificed. If the country is determined by labor, it will be sacrificed. If it can bear great suffering, it will be sacrificed. "The general idea of this passage is that the principle of ancient sacrifices is that only those who have contributed to the country and the people can enjoy sacrifices. Sacrificing to Emperor Yan Shennong has a deeper meaning besides "rewarding", with the different times and cultural images.

(a) as one of the five emperors.

Zhou Li, written in the early Eastern Zhou Dynasty, said that "the five emperors worshipped" and "the five emperors were summoned to the suburbs", which was actually unlucky. Historical records? The Zen Enchantment Sutra says that Qin Xianggong is a western monk and a temple white emperor; Qin Gongxuan made a secret ceremony to worship Di Qing; Qin Linggong served as a sacrifice to the Yellow Emperor in the upper canthus and a shrine to Emperor Yan in the lower canthus. In the second year of Emperor Gaozu's reign (-205), he "journeyed to Ji Xiang and returned home. When he entered the customs, he asked,' So what emperor was the shrine when Qin died?' "Yes:' The four emperors have shrines in white, blue, yellow and Chi Di.' Gaozu said:' I heard that there are five emperors in the sky, but there are actually four. "Why?" I don't know what it says. So Gaozu said,' I know what I know, but I have five things for me. Hei Di Temple was established, which is called North Temple. "Tongdian" also said: "Tang Yu worships five emperors in five houses, which are called pale, red, yellow, white and black." The above-mentioned Qing (Cang) Emperor, Red (Yan) Emperor, Yellow Emperor, Bai Di Emperor and Hei Di were originally the five elites of Qiu, that is, the location of the five emperors in the wall of Qiu, and they were the stars in the sky, also known as the five emperors. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the theory of "Five Elements" prevailed. In festivals, the "five emperors", that is, the five emperors on earth, are often used to worship the five emperors, forming a series of five emperors and their sacrificial systems. In this system, Yandi is one of the five emperors, and is used to worship Chi Di, Nandi or Xia Shen. By the end of the Warring States Period and the Qin and Han Dynasties, the five emperors were sacrificed as a symbol of the dynasty replacement cycle. Emperor Yan has the virtue of fire, which is the foundation of wood, south, summer and red.

In addition to the five temples, there are suburban days, big enjoyment halls and memorial ceremonies. The largest and highest specifications are in the suburbs. The so-called suburb is to set up an altar to worship heaven in the suburb. Book of rites? The ritual vessel said, "The suburban emperor is respectful." "Tongdian" says: "In the weekly system, you must greet people at five o'clock to show that they are flattering the sky and training people at the right time. Therefore, on the fourth day of this month, that is, the king's day in the last month of summer, each of them greeted the king's soul in the suburbs and offered sacrifices to the five emperors ... Yan Di is in summer. " Book of rites? "Moon Order" contains: Summer dreams of the moon, "its emperor Yan Di, its god Zhu Rong", "On a long summer day, the son of heaven is handsome in the southern suburbs to welcome summer". At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the Qin system was attacked, and there were five temples in the suburbs. In the second year of Jianwu (26), Emperor Guangwu of Han Dynasty made eight domes in Qili, south of Luoyang, with heavy altar in the middle and heaven in the middle. The outer altar is in the west, with five emperors on it, and Chi Di is in the third position. At the beginning of Tang Wude, he ordered to worship the God Hao in the suburbs and vaults every winter, and there were five gods. After the Song Dynasty, the worship of the Five Emperors in suburban worship gradually disappeared.

Suburban days are "Sunday is the big news" and "worship in the hall, so teach the ministers filial piety" ("Book of Rites? Sacrifice righteousness "). In these festivals, the Five Emperors match heaven, expressing the ancient people's awe and gratitude for heaven and earth, gods and ancestors.

(B) as the ancestor of farming civilization

Yandi Shennong system laid the foundation of agriculture and industry; It is not easy to taste the original medicine of Baicao, and its position as the ancestor of pesticides has never been easy. Learning from the past, enjoying the first agriculture and worshiping the first doctor are special sacrifices for him.

"Dawan yesterday" is also called wax (wax) sacrifice. Book of rites? The suburbs are dedicated to offering sacrifices to "Yun Tianzi Big Wax Eight". Eosin is wax at first. Wax also, cable also; /kloc-in October/February, I collected all the things and looked for them. The wax sacrifice was also added by the Lord and the priests, offering sacrifices to God to repay the increase. "Tongdian" says: "The meaning of wax is replaced by its own ceremony. The ancient gentleman, who must report it, is also a field of offering sacrifices to the newspaper. His Shennong started out as a farmer, so he signed up. "

Wax sacrifice is one of the most primitive sacrifices, which started from Shennong and later became a sacrifice to oneself. First named Wax, Xia renamed Jiaping, Yin renamed Qingsi, and Zhou renamed Dawa yesterday. At the beginning of Qin dynasty, it was called the past, and later it was called Jiaping. The Han Dynasty restored the past name, which remained in use until the Qing Dynasty.

As an important etiquette, wax sacrifice lasted less than three generations. Although the past dynasties have considered gains and losses, they have remained largely unchanged. Book of rites? "Moon Order" said: Meng Dong's Moon, "The ancestors sacrificed five times to the past, and the peasants rested." Confucius said, "According to miscellaneous notes, people in a country are crazy if they watch wax clouds." . "Once"? Etiquette records also say: "the bright moon in winter, the stars return at the end of the year, yin and yang make friends, and farmers enjoy wax." It can be seen that the later wax sacrifice ceremony not only retained the original meaning of the original wax sacrifice, but also had the significance of celebrating the harvest.

Tongdian records the grand occasion of wax sacrifice in Kaiyuan period of Tang Dynasty. The emperor used to live in the southern suburbs. The emperor and his worshippers used to fast. Three days ago, musical instruments, ritual vessels and thrones began to be displayed. Five minutes before the Ming Dynasty, an altar was built with 190 gods, including Daming, Ye Ming, Shennong, Yi Jie and Hou Ji. The ceremony is roughly a ceremony of offering jade coins, sending blood and offering jade and silk. It is like a dome instrument, which is used to set up toilets, wash hands and provide drinks. Then say greetings, play music and bow. Sacrifice day, the wish of the moon god, paper and silk are burned with fire; Bamboo boards, paper and silks for offering sacrifices to Shennong are all buried in the soil. Zhu Wen of Shennong said, "On the first day of the month (), the son of Wei (a certain) was the first emperor. I would like to send my (official name) to tell Emperor Shennong that only the emperor can plant crops and the grain is Li Yuan, and I have a reward for my meritorious service. I'd like to pay for it with coins. Shangyi. "

Book of rites? Li Yun wrote that Confucius "sighed with shame" after attending the wax sculpture ceremony. He said to Yan Yan beside him: "Compared with three generations of British people, the trip to the Avenue is ambitious. The trip to the avenue, the world is fair, choose talents and talents, and talk about faith. " A trip to the Avenue refers to the Shennong era. Kong said he didn't catch up, but he read the chronicle. Therefore, after watching the wax festival, he expressed admiration for the Shennong era of "the world is public", which shows how far-reaching the influence of the wax festival is.

The wax festival stopped in the tenth year of Qing Dynasty. "In the early Qing dynasty, the Commissioner held a temple at the south gate and set up an altar in the Spring and Autumn Period. When the ancestors entered the customs, they still did the same thing. " ("Qing History Draft")? Ceremony "). Although La Worship has stopped, we can still feel the charm of farming culture from the traditional Spring Festival.

"Borrowing farmland" has existed since ancient times, just like wax statue sacrifice. There is a word "borrowing fields" in the bronze inscriptions of Shang Dynasty. The Book of Songs? Zhou Wei? Zaiheng is a spring ploughing and field borrowing movement. Wax sacrifice was held at the end of the year to "report the final success"; And through the field trip in spring, pray for a bumper harvest in the valley.

Emperors of past dynasties attached great importance to borrowing fields. Book of rites? "Moon Order" contains: Meng Chunzhi's Moon, "The son of heaven prayed to God on the first day of the Yuan Dynasty. Yes, the son of heaven personally carried the thunder, and it was taken in Baojie's imperial room. Shuai Sangong, Jiu Qing, Wang Hou, doctor, specializing in emperors. The emperor pushed three times, three times and five times, and Qing and the princes pushed nine times. " "Once"? "Book of Rites" said: "The first month begins to plow, and it leaks during the day, and it is harvested first. The deacon told the ancestral hall that the farmers enjoyed it. When ploughing, if there is a company, it will be ploughed, and the emperor, the three public, the nine Qing, the princes and the officials will all plough it. " He Xun's "Borrowing" was quoted as saying: "On the day of Han farming, the first farmers sacrificed their lives to heaven with a prison." He also quoted the cloud of "The Old Man's Righteousness", saying, "Spring ploughs eastward, the official temple ploughs first, and the first farmer is Shennong Yan Di. "Tongdian" said, "The Northern Qi Dynasty borrowed a thousand acres from the southeast of the Emperor's city", "The altar was built in the south and west, with a width of 30 feet, four seats, three services and four doors", and "In the first month of each year, the first farmer of the temple, Shennong, went to the altar, so it was sacrificed. "In the third year of Emperor Taizong's Zhenguan (629), on the 21st day of the first month, he offered sacrifices to farmers and borrowed thousands of acres of land." The History of Song Dynasty also records that in the first month of the fifth year of Emperor Taizong (988), Shennong married Hou Ji. After the ceremony, the second position was revised and the ceremony of three pushes was performed. "Yuan to the supreme were ordered to offer sacrifices to the first farmers, wishing to write:' Emperor Gong sent the official newspaper Shennong'. This Shennong sacrifice is borrowed from Tian Ye (Yanling Zhi). Farming etiquette was practiced in Ming and Qing dynasties. Ming Taizu, Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty all cultivated their own fields. During the Yongzheng period, Tian Zhili was also introduced to counties and counties, and it continued until the end of the Qing Dynasty. There is also a "Royal Farming Festival" in Cambodia, and the prince personally cultivates the "holy field". The etiquette of borrowing farmland includes the ceremony of ploughing (enjoying Emperor Shennong and Yan Di) and the cultivation of the Emperor. Its long history, wide scope and deep influence are unparalleled. This is a positive measure in China, which is based on agriculture. The kingship of past dynasties relied on the personality charm of Emperor Shennong and Yan Di to persuade and promote agriculture.

"Sacrificing doctors first" is also a special sacrifice to Yan Di Shennong. Chinese medicine believes that "medicine and food are homologous". Yandi Shennong discovered medicine while developing farming and sowing agriculture. According to the Records of Emperor Ji, Emperor Yan Shennong "tasted a hundred herbs, declared medical treatment, and saved lives". The Addendum to the Biography of Historical Records of Huang San also said: "You should taste a hundred herbs before you can get medicine." Therefore, Emperor Yan Shennong was honored as the "first record".

Yan Di Shennong's contribution to medicine began with Shiben, followed by Xin Yu and Huai Nan Zi in Han Dynasty. The first monograph on pharmacology in China, written at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, summed up the pharmaceutical knowledge handed down by Yan Di Shennong, named Shennong Herbal Classic, and attributed the credit for the discovery of medicine to Yan Di Shennong.

The ceremony of "seeing a doctor first" began in the Yuan Dynasty. "Yuan history? "Sacrifice Zhi" said that in the early years of Yuan Zhen, he ordered the whole county to offer sacrifices ... in the Spring and Autumn Period, the doctor took care of it. "The Dream of the Spring and the Remnants of Dreams" said, "As for the Yuan Dynasty, from the capital to the counties, Huang San Temple was established, which was studied by doctors, such as proclaiming saints and offering libations".

Since the Ming Dynasty, "medical ethics has the most important relationship with people's livelihood, that is, building a temple to worship in a hospital". In the Qing Dynasty, the Imperial Hospital also set up the Three Emperors Hall to offer sacrifices to doctors first. The draft of Qing history? Li Zhi's "Cloud" was first published in the early Ming Dynasty, and was dedicated to the Jing Hui Hall of the Imperial Court. In the middle of spring, he went to Jia and sent officials to salute. Sacrifice to Huang San, Fuxi in the middle, Shennong on the left and Huangdi on the right ","Sacrifice to the Minister of Rites, and sacrifice to the officials of the Ethereum in two parts, three kneeling, nine worships and three sacrifices ". With the development of modern medicine, the ceremony of "offering sacrifices to doctors first" has disappeared in Chinese mainland, but the reputation of "Shennong tasting a hundred herbs" is still widely circulated.

(3) As the ancestor of the Chinese nation.

The Chinese nation has regarded the descendants of the Yellow Emperor as their ancestors since ancient times. Therefore, in the Spring and Autumn Period, Zuo Qiuming wrote Mandarin, saying that "the dead are not favored, and they are all yellow."

The ancient Huaxia nationality, which was formed by the fusion of many clans, began in the era of Emperor Yan. By the time of Huangdi, it was further consolidated and expanded, and basically formed in the pre-Qin period. Since then, after several major national integrations, in the Han and Tang Dynasties, all ethnic groups took ancient China as the main body and grew together on the land of China, gradually gestating into a Chinese national identity entity with multi-ethnic as the main content, multi-integrated culture as the main feature and transcending narrow blood relationship. In the sense of the oldest origin and unity of the Chinese nation and the long history of Chinese culture, people still regard Yanhuang as the ancestor of the Chinese nation, as the original founder of the Chinese nation, as a symbol of origin and unity, and as a symbol of cohesion and identity. In this way, offering sacrifices to Yandi Shennong has a new meaning.

This implication is manifested in the sacrificial ceremony, which tends to pay more attention to the sacrifice of ancestors from the emphasis on the sacrifice of heaven and earth, and is manifested with the growth of the Chinese nation. In the Song Dynasty, it was further deepened after the rise and fall of Han and Tang Dynasties. So, at the beginning of Jiangshan, Song Taizu decided that it would be beyond redemption, that is, "Liu Yun and Lu Duoxun were ordered to write the imperial tablet in equal parts, and Zhao Shisun, the academician, was sent to divide the temple in equal parts, and the book was written on the stone". "Imperial edict is enjoyed for three years", "ritual vessels are made and sent to the mausoleum temple", "five tombs are guarded in every house", and officials are sent to Yiling to offer sacrifices. Ming Taizu also worked in Hongwugan for three years at the beginning of his reign, that is, "paying homage to the tombs of emperors of past dynasties". "Since Fuxi and Shennong, each made a crown and issued incense coins, and sent his secretary Cheng Jian and pottery to repair the sacrificial ceremony and personally sent a congratulatory letter. Each mausoleum is given 25 taels of platinum, and the temple is built to show its ambition "(Yanling ambition). In the "imperial rites" of the Ming Dynasty, almost all the words prayed for the peace of the country and the people.

It should be mentioned that in history, some ethnic groups active outside the ancient Xia area also established several independent dynasties, but their ancestors still trace back to the Emperor Yanhuang. The Northern Zhou Dynasty was founded by Yu Wentai, a descendant of Xianbei. "Ji of Emperor Shu of Zhou" says: "Taizu Wen ... first came from Shennong, Yan Di." After his son Xiao Min ascended the throne, he said in a letter: "I am Shennong." Liao was built by the Qidan people, and the history of Liao was written in the Yuan Dynasty. The book says: "Since the beginning of Liao Dynasty, Emperor Yan, the world is a country of good luck." Originated in the Yuan and Qing Dynasties in ancient China, they quickly recognized and integrated into China culture after entering the Central Plains. In addition to following the ancient system, the Yuan Dynasty also paid great attention to offering sacrifices to farmers, plowing fields, Huang Sanhe and doctors. There is a Yuan generation who has never been a little lazy. In the first year, Asha Buhua, a university student, was ordered to pay homage to Yiling. After the Qing Dynasty entered Shanhaiguan, in the eighth year of Shunzhi (165 1), Yuling was appointed as a sacrifice: "Mang Shennong", and Bai Yunqian, a bachelor, was sent to sacrifice. Since then, all state-owned events have been sacrificed. Among the 37 extant "Imperial Sacrifices", 65,438+065,438+0 were written for appealing, leading the government and restoring, 6 were written for pleading for Jingbian and military service, and 65,438+0 were written for praying for disaster relief.

Taiwan Province Province, the mother of China's ancient culture across the sea, also has a long history of offering sacrifices to Yandi Shennong. Taiwan Province's belief in Shennong began at least in the Ming Dynasty. Up to now, there are more than 130 temples in Taiwan Province with Yan Di Shennong as their gods, which are called Yan Di, Rebecca, Guwu Xiandi, Guwuye Emperor, Shennong Emperor, Xiannong, Xiandi Yedi and Wangyaodi respectively. In order to recover the ancestors of Taiwan Province Province, apart from offering sacrifices to the God of Agriculture and Medicine to Yandi Shennong, we should pay more attention to "remembering our ancestors" and never forget our roots.

Since modern times, Chinese sons and daughters have loved their country more and more after a long and arduous struggle for survival, unity, development and prosperity. Therefore, on the eve of the Revolution of 1911, members of the League made a generous speech in front of the Second Mausoleum of Yanhuang. During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression period, Zhou Enlai, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, wrote a vigorous book: China is the Chinese nation after all;

Xue Yue, Chairman of Hunan Province and Commander of the Ninth Theater, is even more heroic: "Yue He Yan, Yuze Emperor, guarding Hunan soil, drinking water and thinking about the source, why forget your ancestors?" Therefore, in the 1980s, the Yan Di Mausoleum was renovated by the Chinese people at home and abroad with the participation of all sectors of society. Dozens of Yan Di Shennong temples in Taiwan Province have come to Yandiling to open the statue of Yan Di Shennong; Provincial and municipal people's governments and social organizations at home and abroad held many grand ceremonies for Yan Di Mausoleum. "Chinese Yanhuang Flame", the ceremony of taking fire from Yan Di Mausoleum "Yan Di Flame".

If "the worship of five emperors" is a cautious pursuit of the future, a reverence and reward for heaven and earth, nature and ancestors, while the worship of "increasing wealth first" and "treating doctors first" is a return to nature and a respect and inheritance for farming culture, then ancestor worship is a respect for ancestors' patriotism and a strong desire for national unity and national prosperity.

The ancient sacrificial ceremony emphasized "being born in the heart". Book of rites? "Sacrifice Law" says: "The husband who sacrifices is not from the outside, but from the heart. It is the meaning that saints can do their best to sacrifice. " The number of sacrifices requires no worries and laziness: "If you don't want to count sacrifices, you will be worried, and worry is disrespect. If you don't want to be lazy, you will be lazy and forget "("Book of Rites? Sacrifice righteousness. As for the ceremony, it has always been accompanied, or because of the different time, place and things, each has its own considerations.

Emperor Yan's mausoleum was enshrined in the Song Dynasty. "The history of the Song Dynasty. "Rites" contains: "The first imperial edict of Gander: emperors of past dynasties are often enjoyed by the state, written by decree and can be implemented. ..... According to the order of the shrine, the first emperor enjoyed it every three years. Mid-spring moon, the sacrifice is too tight, and the official is the state governor. If there is a reason, he will act as an assistant. " And set "Taeho K Yan Di" ... Spring and Autumn Festival came too fast ". Song Kaibao five years, easy to sacrifice five years. Sacrifice to Yiling is impermanent, and officials are only sent to sacrifice when there are major state affairs. For example, in June of the 14th year of Cherish Spring (1 187), there was a great drought in the world, and Song Xiaozong ordered "Xiuyan Diling Temple in Hengzhou" ("Song History? This kind of discipline "), and sent officials to sacrifice, to pray for disaster arrival.

At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, it was decided that "every three years, congratulatory letters and incense silks will be sent, musicians and dancers in Taichang Temple will be sent to lent, and priests will be present. He also ordered officials to choose a day for sacrifice in the first half of the Spring and Autumn Period. It is also determined that the age of stopping offering sacrifices to the mausoleum temple every three years. " It is stipulated that "envoys should be sent to the mausoleum to offer sacrifices, and monuments should be erected in the mausoleum to announce the number of sacrifices and silks for the safekeeping of the headquarters."

Although the sacrificial ceremony in Qing dynasty was made by the old system in Ming dynasty, it was obviously heavy. "The Draft of the History of Qing Dynasty" said: "Xunxing went to the mausoleum temple, Daqing, and he also wished to remember." For example, in the twenty-first year of Kangxi (1682), after the Pingdian Rebellion, "officials were sent to sacrifice, and books, incense and silks were given to pholiota adiposa, Long Qiu, and all those with martial arts were sacrificed". The etiquette of sending officials to Yiling for sacrifice is very complicated. According to the Records of Yanling, before the sacrifice, Qin chose a suitable day for the sacrifice, and the Hanlin Academy wrote a eulogy. Taichang Temple, Ministry of Industry and Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development prepared sacrifices and sacrificial ceremonies respectively. The Ministry of Rites made a list of hall officials below assistant minister and above level 4, and asked Qin to send them to sacrifice officials. For sacrificial officials, fast the day before the trip and collect sacrifices, eulogies and ceremonies at the Ritual Department. In case the emperor reads it personally, there are other procedures After reporting to local officials, the officials knelt down in royal robes to meet them, and presented royal tributes and silks to the main hall of CCBA in Long Ting. Officials bow three times and kowtow nine times. Three days before the sacrifice, the sacrificial officer was called to fast, and the local official prepared drum music and ceremonial ceremonies, and bowed three times to meet Long Ting at the sacrificial site. The day before the sacrifice, ask the sacrificial officer to keep the sacrifices and sacrificial vessels, and the local official will supervise the slaughter, and then lead the ritual students to practice etiquette. On the memorial day, four drums are used to display sacrificial vessels, sacrifices, sacrifices and musicians, and then gather outside the temple gate to wait. Drum on five sides, told the attendant to wear robes and enter the temple from the East Gate. The drums sounded three times, informing and accompanying the sacrificial officials to their positions. The ceremony includes three kneels and nine knocks before and after, and three prayers in the middle. Greeting God, offering for the first time, offering for the second time, offering for the last time, receiving, withdrawing and sending God are all the actions of singing. There are 39 deacons. The furnishings are as follows: one royal offering purple incense, one sinking speed incense and one silk longevity coin each; 4 1 piece, including Jue, Bi, Deng, Bian, Dan, Dan, Dou, Dan, Qian, etc. Sacrificial cattle, sheep, tapirs, soup, millet, rice, sorghum, glutinous rice, glutinous rice, jujube, chestnuts, hazelnuts, glutinous rice, glutinous rice, glutinous rice, glutinous rice, waxy deer, cakes, glutinous rice, glutinous rice. Two candles. At the time of sacrifice, that is, every Mid-Autumn Festival and auspicious day in the middle of the month, "a member of the land keeper gives it, and the deacon is born with the ceremony." "Exhibition and etiquette festival are the same as sending official memorial sacrifices" and "only no music songs" (extending the age). The eulogy was sent by the Ministry of Rites. During the Qianlong period, Emperor Yan's mausoleum offered a large sacrifice of "silver twenty-one taels" and "the original amount of silver twenty-two taels in the Spring and Autumn Period" (Yanling Zhi).

Modern ceremonies are held in front of the mausoleum. The furnishings include cereals, beans (99 species), dried and fresh fruits (99 species) and fresh Chinese herbal medicines (99 species). The main sacrifice, the accompanying sacrifice, and the participants each wore a corsage sign and were guided by the honor guard to the Hajj Square. At that time, gongs and drums will be loud, horns will be ringing, dragons and lions will dance, dozens of suona will play the ancient music "Open the Door", and the noon gate will slowly open. Guided by the flower basket, the procession entered from the noon gate in turn, paid three incense visits to the salute pavilion, then stood still and waited. At 9: 09, the sacrificial ceremony began. Etiquette mainly includes:

(1) The ceremony begins;

(2) the priest is in place;

(3) Drumming nine times and ringing Jin Jiu times;

(4) firing guns and playing music (the band plays ancient music);

5] offerings (five grains, three animals and fresh fruits)

[6] Special flower basket;

(7) Bow to Yan Di Shennong, the ancestor of the Chinese nation (statue);

Was eulogized by the priest;

Pet-name ruby burning silk;

⑽ Fire guns, play music and do ceremonies.

After the ceremony, people visited the mausoleum.

The ceremony is not fixed and can be increased or decreased as appropriate. For example, introduce the groups or main personnel who participated in the sacrifice, read out congratulations and accept donations. Before and after the ceremony, folk art performances were held in the square. Major sacrificial activities will be commemorated by announcing the monument, and the unveiling ceremony of the monument will be held after the burial of the mausoleum.

Taiwan Province Province's sacrificial activities to Yandi Shennong are mainly folk activities, which are mostly held on the birthday of Shennong on April 26th of the lunar calendar. Mr. Zhong Zongxian once wrote 1992, the Grand Ceremony of Xiansi Palace in Mie City, Taipei County: "On the morning of April 25th, Shanxin assembled more than 0/00 vehicles, such as drum trucks, south-north tube trucks and car drum pavilions, and set out from Xiansi Palace to welcome the gods, and citizens put incense offerings at their doorsteps. When the patrol passed by, incense was in hand and firecrackers were set off; On that day, the people made an exception and held a banquet. Diners all over the country were in a constant stream, and they were very lively and the traffic was blocked. " As a result of its grand occasion, "the triple citizens' congress broke up because the delegates attended the activities to meet the gods and the attendance was insufficient." "On the morning of April 26th 10, the birthday ceremony officially started. Mayor Chen Jingjun personally presided over the ceremony and presented three gifts according to the ancient ceremony. Local people have their own responsibilities, which is solemn compared with the grand occasion of the previous day. "

The sacrificial ceremony held by Taiwan Province Provincial Committee in Yandiling is relatively simple. 1990 The memorial ceremony of Chiang Clan Association in Taipei is as follows: The memorial ceremony begins; (2) firing a gun; (3) the priest is in place; (4) Accompanying the sacrifice in place; 5] all stand; [6] incense; (7) offering flowers; Be provided; (9) read a eulogy; ⑽ Pay tribute to the icon of the ancestor Yan Di Shennong; ⑾ burn incense and worship by yourself; ⑿ burn paper and silk for sacrifice; [13] Give a souvenir card; [14] shoot; ⒂ Li Cheng. Sacrifice the tomb. In recent years, there are more and more groups in Taiwan Province Province to sweep the tombs, and the ceremonies are also different. Some wear uniform clothes (ancient costumes); Some brought the statue of Emperor Yan and "opened the light" in the mausoleum of Emperor Yan; Some people still kneel three times and knock nine times, which is very pious.

Today's Yandiling, with the roots of Chinese ancestors and the source of Chinese culture, has become an eternal emotional bond and immortal spiritual sacred mountain of our nation. With the power of crossing time and space, she led Chinese sons and daughters across the ocean, over mountains and into them. The cultural implication and tension implied by the ancestor worship in Yiling is the precipitation and sublimation of 5,000 years' culture.

A furnace of incense floats, lingering, burning for thousands of years, praying for "the people are rich and the country is strong." This is the long-cherished wish of the nation and the heart of hundreds of millions of descendants.