Temple Fair
01 · Historical Records
In the second year of the Zhenghe era (1112) under Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song, he was posthumously conferred the title "Shengong Miaoji Zhenjun" (True Lord of Divine Merit and Wondrous Relief); the Xishan Abbey in Nanchang was elevated from a guan to a gong (palace) and was bestowed with the plaque "Yulong Wanshou Gong" (Palace of Jade Abundance and Longevity). Legend has it that the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month is the day Perfected Lord Xu (Xu Zhenjun) attained the Way and ascended to heaven; therefore every year from the twentieth day of the seventh lunar month to the first day of the ninth lunar month is the "incense season" (xiangqi), when believers converge on the mountain to worship, also called the "temple fair season." On the morning of the first day of the eighth lunar month (known as the Pure Month, Jingyue), the morning court (kaichao) opens: the worship procession carries "Wanshou Jinxiang" (Offering Incense at Wanshou) banners, accompanied by gongs, drums and trumpets, sets out offerings, silently voices its wishes and prays for blessings. The origins of the Xishan Wanshou Palace Temple Fair are tied to Xu Xun, the founding patriarch of the Jingming Daoist school. Xu Xun was a man of the Eastern Jin; in the fourth year of the Daxing era he withdrew into seclusion at the former site of the Meixian Shrine in the southern suburbs of Nanchang, founded a Daoist monastery and established the Jingming school, and was later revered as its founding patriarch. Daoist immortal lore says he attained the Way and became an immortal, and was one of the Twelve Perfected Lords. While he was still living, the temple had already been built, and this monastery outside the city of Nanchang became the center of believers' devotion. By imperial edict in the second year of the Zhenghe era under Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song, he was posthumously conferred the title Shengong Miaoji Zhenjun; at the same time the Xishan Abbey was elevated to a palace and granted the plaque Yulong Wanshou Gong. The temple's status was thereby raised, and Xu Xun's cult was pushed from the popular realm into the sequence of official sacrifices. The fifteenth day of the eighth month is handed down as the day he attained the Way and ascended to heaven, so the period from the twentieth of the seventh month to the first of the ninth month was designated the incense season, with believers converging on the mountain; once the scale of worship expanded, it was no longer confined to a single day, and the temple fair took shape accordingly.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Xishan Wanshou Palace Temple Fair is a traditional folk-custom cultural space held regularly at Wanshou Palace in Xinjian County, Jiangxi Province, to worship Xu Xun, the founding patriarch of the Jingming Daoist school. Xu Xun (239-374) was a man of the Eastern Jin, born and raised in Nanchang, Jiangxi. In the fourth year of the Daxing era of Emperor Yuan of the Eastern Jin (321), he withdrew into seclusion at the former site of the Meixian Shrine in the southern suburbs of Nanchang, founded a Daoist monastery, established the Jingming school, and was revered as its founding patriarch. Daoist immortal lore says that he attained the Way and became an immortal, and was one of the "Twelve Perfected Lords." Afterwards, a regular temple fair took form. At night, folk opera troupes give performances.
The dawn court on the first of the clean month
The eighth month is called the clean month, and its first dawn opens the formal court, bells and drums sounding inside and out.
The thousand-year incense retinue
Bearers of the banners lead the worshippers with gongs, trumpets and reed horns through the most imposing passage of the term.
Offering and unspoken vows
Worshippers lay out their own offerings and silently frame their wishes, a plain rite carrying grave intent.
The incense term from the twentieth of the seventh month
Believed to be the day of his ascent, the term spans more than forty days, with pilgrims streaming to the temple day and night.
Night performances by the opera troupe
Village opera troupes perform into the night, adding a second half to a day otherwise given to ascent and worship.
The Jingming school and the twelve perfected lords
Xu Xun founded the Jingming school and is ranked among the twelve perfected lords, linking local shrine worship into the Daoist order.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The local character of the Wanshou Palace Temple Fair rests on the nodes of water and land transport in Jiangxi. Xishan lies beside the Gan River; most of those who come to the temple are boatmen and traveling merchants from Nanchang, Jiujiang and the surrounding prefectures and counties, and the incense season interacts with the rhythm of Gan River shipping: the seasons of rising and falling waters and the days when fishing boats return to port both affect the flow of people up the mountain. During the fair the month is called the Pure Month (Jingyue), and particular weight is placed on the morning court at dawn: the worship procession carrying Wanshou Jinxiang banners, accompanied by gongs, drums and trumpets, setting out offerings and silently voicing wishes, becomes one of the most procedural scenes in the beliefs and customs of central Jiangxi. At night opera troupes take the stage and perform deep into the night before dispersing; the solemnity of daytime and the clamor of night form two faces within a single day.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair · Temple Fair.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The project's activities span belief, folk custom, folk arts and literature, and are of great significance for carrying forward the fine traditions of the Chinese nation and strengthening community cohesion; they also hold research value for religious studies, folklore studies and history.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Hu Wenxiang 04-1974
- Guan Zhangxun 04-1975
- Cheng Zhongxin 05-3018
- Wang Defeng
- Luo Binggen
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript; it mirrors the bilingual dossier. 阅读中文版，或返回 英文名录。