Mazu Memorial Ceremony
01 · Historical Records
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 · Core Techniques & Process
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.
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.
The ceremonial drum
Treated as the goddess's own instrument, the ceremonial drum sets the solemn tone and quiets the street into the right measure.
The peak of the first lunar month
The first lunar month is the high season, when palanquins and flower societies perform in turn amid lights, drums and crowds.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
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).
Other submitting regions for the same item: Mazu Memorial Ceremony · Mazu Memorial Ceremony · Mazu Memorial Ceremony · Mazu Memorial Ceremony · Mazu Memorial Ceremony · Mazu Memorial Ceremony · Mazu Memorial Ceremony.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Ma Zhaosheng (recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): Male, of the Han nationality, born in September 1950, a native of Tianjin. He is fond of woodworking and has applied himself to mastering the craft of making precious palanquins. At the same time, he has widely contacted veteran artists and devoted himself to collecting and organizing historical materials. Since 1986 he has played important roles such as rear handler in the Dongcha Shed palanquin performances, and has served as an assembly head. In 2006 he was elected vice-chairman of the Gegu Folk-Arts Assembly Association. He is a representative inheritor of the Mazu Festival (Gegu Baonian Festival), a project of the fifth national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Lin Jinbang 04-1962
- Ma Zhaosheng 05-2983
- Wu Jiang 05-2984
- Chen Jianquan 05-2985
- Li Qingxiang
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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