Chaoyang Miancheng Shuangzhong Cultural Festival of Chaoshan Shen You Culture

The folk loyalty activities in Chaoyang have a long history, which originated from the commemoration of Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan in the Tang Dynasty, and reflected people's admiration for the spirit of loyalty and the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation. Many people of insight hope that this traditional folk custom with a long history can be better inherited and carried forward, and also hope that the spirit of "loyalty and righteousness" like Zhang and Xu Ergong and the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation can be carried forward among the younger generation in Chaoyang.

Every February in the lunar calendar, the "Double Loyalty and Holy King" parade is held in Miancheng, Chaoyang City. There are more than 30 teams in the team, including song and dance team, Chaoyang flute band, Chaozhou drum team, lion awakening team, Kirin Golden Lion team, flag bearer team, Wushu team, Taiji team, gun bag team and lottery team, which are known as the "three treasures" of Chaoyang. Nearly ten thousand people took part in this large-scale literary parade.

Who is "Shuangzhong"? According to historical records, in the second year of Tang Zhide (757), the soldiers and civilians of Suiyang City (now Shangqiu, Henan Province) led by Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan, then deputy envoys of Henan Province, launched a deadly war of resistance against the rebels in the Anshi Rebellion, and they defended Suiyang for 10 months. Due to the disparity in strength, reinforcements failed to arrive and supplies were cut off. In the end, Suiyang was outnumbered, and Zhang and Xu died for their country. This is one of the most tragic battles in the ancient history of China, the battle of Suiyang. After the "An Shi Rebellion" was put down, Tang Suzong ordered a temple to be built in Suiyang to offer sacrifices to "Shuang Zhong Gong". After the Tang Dynasty, the orthodox position of Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan's beliefs in official sacrificial ceremonies never wavered, and they were constantly pursued and sealed in successive dynasties, constantly strengthened, and evolved into a model of "loyalty to the monarch and serving the country" and became a belief resource used by officials and gentry to mobilize the people.

However, how did these two "gods from the north" come to Chaoyang, an ancient city in eastern Guangdong that was far away from Qianshan and had nothing to do with it before? According to relevant historical records and expert analysis, there are two main reasons: First, during the reign of Song Xining (1068- 1077), the Chaozhou government sent Zhong Ying, a military school, to the DPRK, passing through Suiyang, Henan Province, to pay homage to Shuangzhong Temple, so he invited Shuangzhong to burn incense in Chaoyang, and then built the "Ling Wei Temple" in Dongshan. Second, the story of "Double Loyalty" spread in Chaoyang, which was related to the apparition of Han Yu. Han Yu once wrote Biography of Zhang Zhongcheng in recognition of the spirit of "double loyalty". Because the people in Chaoyang especially worship Han Yu, it is a meaningful explanation to worship Han Gong with "Shuangzhong". Another important reason is that the ancient sunrise needs "double loyalty". Because Chaoyang is located in the seaside, it has been plagued by mountain thieves, pirates and pirates since ancient times. Zhang and Xu Gonggong did their best to defend the country and the people before their death, and their appearance in Chaoshan was exactly what the people expected, and they were naturally accepted and worshipped by Chaoyang officials and people. Miancheng, in particular, not only formed a "cultural shrine"-"Dongshan Sacrifice Center", but also made a "unified arrangement" because of the numerous temples of Shuangzhong: Ling Wei Temple in Dongshan is the headquarters of Shuangzhong, Shuangzhong Temple in front of the city god is the site office of Shuangzhong, and Lingdong Ancient Temple in Pinghe East is the home of Shuangzhong.