Xiayuan Festival

By staff reporter DANG XIAOFEI

THE 15th day of the 10th month on the lunar calendar （the day in this years solar calendar falls on November 11） is the Xiayuan Festival. Legend has it that this festival celebrated the birthday of the Water God in Taoism， and later evolved into a day in which people worship and remember their ancestors. It has a history of thousands of years.

Origin

Taoism worships the three deities of heaven， earth， and water respectively. The Heaven God blesses the people， the Earth God pardons the people， and the Water God dispels disasters. On the 15th day of the lunar month， the Water God is said to descend to the human world to bring relief from disasters for the people. Therefore， Xiayuan is also known as the day to remove ill fortune.

People on this day will decorate their houses with lanterns and streamers， hang a pair of lanterns in the main hall， and make an offering of fish， meat， and fruits below them.

The festival is the last moon festival of the year. At the time of the full moon， Chinese people perform the ritual of ancestor worship， which is considered one of the most important acts of the event. On this day， people burn joss paper for the dead and remember their ancestors. The festival often extends peoples remembrance and rever- ence for their own ancestors to the national scale， and people pay homage to figures from the past who are widely admired.

In ancient times， during this festival the imperial court suspended animal slaughter and the death penalty. Folk artisans also worshipped the Furnace God on this day， who was a major figure of Taoism.

Legends

There are many interesting stories about the festival. One is about the Water God.

In ancient China， ceremonies were held to offer sacrifices to heaven， earth， and water， which were considered as necessary conditions for human subsistence. Without them， human beings would not have survived and thrived. Therefore， people often worshipped in awe and paid homage to them.

During mid and late Eastern Han Dynasty （25-220）， the court eunuchs as well as relatives of the emperor were in possession of all the power， leading to severe problems and difficulties for the people， and the resistance against the ruling class was fierce. Observing the situation， Minister Zhang Ling resigned and went to Sichuan to learn Taoism at the Heming Mountain. Combining the religious beliefs among the people along with his studies， he wrote books about Taoism， and created the Doctrine of Five Pecks of Rice. Taoists honor Zhang Ling as a Taoist master. The Doctrine of Five Pecks of Rice， on the one hand， respects Laozi as an important ancient teacher and imparts the Tao Teh King， on the other hand， it regards the heaven， earth， and water as the three gods.

Since then， the folk belief in the three gods has become more and more widespread. The birthdays of these gods are often the busiest time. Because most people will pray on the birthdays of the gods， as time passed， they gradually evolved into festivals. So on the 15th day of the 10th lunar month， the birthday of the Water God became a festival.

Legend has it that the Water God rules various immortals in waters， and is not only master of the things of the rivers， lakes， and seas， but also manages drought and floods， in addition to being in charge of birth and death.

Customs

The main customs of the festival are：

Taoist Ceremony：

The festival is one of the dates to hold ceremonies of Taoism. Taoism believes that everything that depends on the power of God， such as blessings， seeking of immortality， extending life， and releasing souls from purgatory， as well as all religious rites， all of which require appropriate ceremonial acts. People will set up an altar to seek blessings.

Ancestor Worship：

The festival is associated with rich cuisine to offer sacrifices to ancestors and pray for blessing. Paying homage to the souls of the ancestors is to pray to the ancestors to ask them to protect their descendants and save them from disaster and misfortune.

Praying to the Gods：

From the evolution of sacrificial subject and object， the festival has also become integrated into many sacrificial customs in agricultural production. In Putian of Fujian Province， in the evening of the festival， all rural households offer sacrifices to the Water God in the farmland， praying that their crops will survive the winter safely.

Offering Sacrifice to Wandering Ghosts：

During the festival， many families in Putian will offer food in the open area in front of their houses， burn joss sticks， and let the children evenly insert a small square with burning incense sticks. This kind of custom is said to offer sacrifice to lonely departed souls.

Eating Seasonal Food：

Dietary custom is an important part of Chinese festivities. On this day， people of some regions will make glutinous rice cakes and steamed stuffed buns at home and present them to relatives and friends.