Nuwa Memorial Ceremony
01 · Historical Records
The Nüwa Temple is located in Longcheng Town, Qin'an County, in the middle reaches of the Qingshui River — one of the "Four Great Cultural Valleys of Longyou". It was first built in the Han Dynasty and repaired many times in successive dynasties; destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, it was rebuilt on its original site in 1989 with funds raised by the local people.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Qin'an Nüwa Sacrificial Ceremony is a grand ceremonial activity honoring the Chinese ancestors, held at the Nüwa Temple in Qin'an County, Tianshui City, Gansu Province. Qin'an County is ancient Chengji, long known as the "hometown of Fuxi and Nüwa" (Xili Waxiang). Legend has it that Fuxi and Nüwa were born here. Longcheng still retains many place names and legends related to the Nüwa legend. It is said that the fifteenth day of the third lunar month is Nüwa's birthday; every year on this day, sacrificial ceremonies are held at the Nüwa Temple, divided into two parts: the public ceremony and the folk ceremony. The public ceremony is held with great solemnity, and representatives of all circles as well as guests from home and abroad take part in it. The folk observance begins on the eleventh day of the third lunar month with the setting up of the altar; on the twelfth, holy water from the Dragon Spring (Longquan) is sprinkled over the altar to pray for blessings; on the thirteenth, the sacred carriage (luanjia) is welcomed at Fenggou; on the fourteenth, the food offerings are welcomed at Fengtai; and at 9:50 a.m. on the fifteenth, the main altar sacrifice is performed.
The public sacrifice on the fifteenth
At fifty minutes to ten on the morning of the fifteenth day the principal rite is held, attended by delegates and overseas guests.
Five days from altar to principal rite
The folk rite runs five days, from raising the altar and drawing holy water to welcoming the phoenix carriage and the principal sacrifice.
Sprinkling the altar with dragon spring water
Water drawn from the Dragon Spring is sprinkled on the altar, the one step that binds the rite to the ground it stands on.
Welcoming the carriage and the feast
The carriage is welcomed at Fenggou on the thirteenth and the feast awaited at Fengtai on the fourteenth, in the order of ordinary hospitality.
Drums, gongs, cymbals and the scriptures
The ritual master holds drums, gongs, cymbals and Taoist scriptures of the morning and evening lessons, so the rite can be performed as written.
A Han foundation rebuilt
Founded in the Han and destroyed in the Cultural Revolution, the shrine was rebuilt by public subscription on its old site in 1989.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The Qin'an Nüwa Sacrificial Ceremony is held at the Nüwa Temple, which stands in Longcheng Town in the middle reaches of the Qingshui River; first built in the Han Dynasty, it was repaired many times over the ages; destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, it was rebuilt on its original site in 1989 with funds raised by the local people, and it remains to this day the principal place for worshipping Nüwa in the Longcheng area. Qin'an County is ancient Chengji, long known as the "hometown of Fuxi and Nüwa"; legend has it that both Fuxi and Nüwa were born here. Longcheng still retains many place names and legends related to the Nüwa legend; the place names and the legends serve as mutual evidence, forming the cultural backdrop of this region.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Nuwa Memorial Ceremony.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
This project is of great significance for carrying forward the fine traditions of the Chinese nation and strengthening the cohesion of the Chinese nation, and also holds important research value for history and folklore studies. Wang Shigui (recorded in the official archive of the associated inheritor): Male, Han ethnicity, born in January 1964, from Qin'an County, Gansu Province. He has successively presided over the sacrificial ceremonies at the Huize Wang Shrine in Changpingbao, Qin'an County; Taoist rites at the Taishan Temple in Shangyuan Village, the Beishan Temple, and the Xifan Temple in Longcheng Town, Qin'an County; the first and second public Nüwa sacrificial ceremonies of Tianshui City; the successive folk Nüwa sacrificial ceremonies of Longcheng Town, Qin'an County; and various folk sacrificial activities in Zhuanglang County, Zhangjiachuan Hui Autonomous County, Qingshui County and other places. He has also participated in and presided over folk sacrificial activities in parts of Ningxia, Shaanxi, Qinghai and other provinces. He possesses the ritual instruments needed for sacrificial ceremonies — drums, jiao, gongs, nao and bo cymbals — as well as Taoist scriptures such as the Morning Altar Scripture, the Evening Altar Scripture, the Yuhuang Scripture, the Beidou Yansheng Scripture, and the Sanyuan Scripture. He is a representative inheritor of the Nüwa Sacrificial Ceremony (Qin'an Nüwa Sacrificial Ceremony), a national-level intangible cultural heritage item of the fifth batch.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Zhang Nailin 05-2987
- Wang Shigui 05-2988
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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