Li Qingxiang
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Li Qingxiang, Male, Han, from Jinnan, Tianjin, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Mazu Memorial Ceremony (Ⅹ-36). The tradition is documented in Jinnan, Tianjin. Within the regional tradition and school record of Mazu Memorial Ceremony in Jinnan, Tianjin: Gegu Town was originally land reclaimed from the sea, and maritime accidents were frequent; the local people therefore took the fisherwoman Lin Mo (i.e., Mazu, the Holy Queen of Heaven) as a deity, praying to the Lady Mazu to protect the safety of sea voyages and fishing work. The Gegu Baonian folk-arts assemblies are divided into two great categories: seated music (zuoyue) and playing music (shuayue). The Gegu Baonian (Precious Palanquin) Festival was founded in the Yongle reign of the Ming dynasty and has been passed down from generation to generation to the present day.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Li Qingxiang is anchored in the documented technical standards of Mazu Memorial Ceremony in Jinnan, Tianjin. Within the documented technical tradition of Mazu Memorial Ceremony in Jinnan, Tianjin: Its main area of activity is Gegu Town, in the Jinnan District of Tianjin. Through long years of Mazu sacrificial activity, a structure gradually took shape centered on eight precious palanquins and two precious pavilions, while also drawing in the participation of several dozen other folk-arts assemblies, making it an important carrier of Mazu culture. The performance forms of the Baonian folk-arts assemblies are rich and varied, including steady small steps, trembling small steps, rapid large steps, figure-eight runs, and dragon-tail swings. The first month of the lunar year is the peak season for folk-arts activities in Gegu. At this time, the stately precious palanquins and the colorful variety of folk-arts assemblies take turns giving splendid performances on the brilliantly lit streets and squares, amid the sound of drums and music and surging crowds, making this a major mass cultural activity with which the local people celebrate peace and pray for good fortune. The "seated music" (zuoyue) category comprises the precious palanquins, the tea sheds, and the ceremonial drums. The precious palanquin has three functions: it serves as the carriage for the outings and progresses of the Holy Queen of Heaven; the statue of the Holy Queen of Heaven is enshrined within the palanquin's shrine so that the people may gaze upon it and pray; and it serves as a prop for the "running palanquin" performance. The tea sheds have four functions: they provide space for displaying and setting out the precious palanquins; they offer pilgrims a place to rest and drink tea; they provide a setting for the faithful to worship with reverence; and during the Lantern Festival they serve as lantern-viewing venues. The ceremonial drum serves as a ritual implement of the Holy Queen of Heaven, and its playing is meant to heighten the solemn atmosphere of the sacrifice. The "playing music" (shuayue) category encompasses more than twenty folk-arts assemblies, including stilts and dragon lanterns. From the second to the sixteenth day of the first lunar month each year (in former times the eighteenth), Gegu Town holds activities to sacrifice to Mazu, when a folk-arts procession of several thousand people and tens of thousands of spectators gather together in the old town. The "welcoming the imperial carriage" day is the last day of the sacrificial activities, marked by the grand and spectacular ceremony of "entering the palace three times." Several dozen folk-arts assemblies belonging to the seated and playing categories gather together in the square of the Queen of Heaven Palace; the eight palanquins and two pavilions are lined up in a row, after which the playing assemblies perform in sequence; the people burn incense and pray, asking Mazu to protect them and bring peace in the coming year. The Gegu Baonian Festival is a typical folk-belief sacrificial activity, serving both to entertain the gods and to entertain the people; it is one of the important cultural spaces of Mazu belief in the northern region, and it collectively displays such artistic forms as music, dance, theater, clay sculpture, woodcarving, painting, and calligraphy, along with folk culture. The Gegu Baonian Festival inherits many of the rites by which the north sacrifices to Mazu, as well as other folk culture; it is one of the important carriers of Mazu culture in the north, covers many artistic categories, has a broad popular base and strong local character, and is of positive significance for building a harmonious society and promoting local cultural exchange. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Eight palanquins and two pavilions": On the day of welcome the palanquins stand in a single line before the temple, so the whole gathering can be surveyed at one glance. "The three formal entries on the final day": The welcoming day is the last of the festival and carries the most solemn rite, the three entries being counted and fixed. "Three functions of the palanquin": The palanquin serves at once as the vehicle of the goddess, the shrine holding her image, and the prop for the running dance. "The tea tent as resting place": The tea tent displays the palanquin, rests the faithful over tea, receives their homage and serves as the lantern-viewing ground.
Eight palanquins and two pavilions
On the day of welcome the palanquins stand in a single line before the temple, so the whole gathering can be surveyed at one glance.
The three formal entries on the final day
The welcoming day is the last of the festival and carries the most solemn rite, the three entries being counted and fixed.
Three functions of the palanquin
The palanquin serves at once as the vehicle of the goddess, the shrine holding her image, and the prop for the running dance.
The tea tent as resting place
The tea tent displays the palanquin, rests the faithful over tea, receives their homage and serves as the lantern-viewing ground.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Li Qingxiang was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Mazu Memorial Ceremony, with Jinnan, Tianjin as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Mazu Memorial Ceremony in Jinnan, Tianjin: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2014 (batch 4), with Jinnan, Tianjin as its declared area, and Tianjin Jinnan District Cultural Center (Tianjin Jinnan District Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Center) as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
The Gegu Baonian (Precious Palanquin) Festival was founded in the Yongle reign of the Ming dynasty and has been passed down from generation to generation to the present day.
05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage
National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lin Jinbang | Putian, Fujian | 04-1962 | Other regional school |
| Ma Zhaosheng | Jinnan, Tianjin | 05-2983 | Same declared area |
| Wu Jiang | Dongtou, Zhejiang | 05-2984 | Other regional school |
| Chen Jianquan | Macao, China | 05-2985 | Other regional school |
| Li Qingxiang | Jinnan, Tianjin | — | This page |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。