Peninsula All Media Reporter Hua Jingfang Sun Jing
On the morning of April 5, the sea square in Shantou Village, Tianhengdao Provincial Tourist Resort in Jimo District, was full of people and colorful flags fluttered. A grand festival that has been passed down for more than 500 years, the Sumida Yokomatsu Sea Festival, is being held here to pray for a safe voyage and a full cabin of fish and shrimp. Fishermen and tourists from far and wide come together to witness this ancient and solemn tradition.
At around 7:30 a.m., on the big stage in the square, the cast and crew were conducting intense rehearsals, and many citizens and tourists who arrived early were watching the rehearsals and visiting the "intangible cultural heritage collection".
Tian Heng sacrificed the sea festival and recited the sacrificial text
At 8 o'clock in the morning, the sea square in Shandong Tou Village has been full of people, the vehicles parked on both sides of the road are like a long dragon, and the traffic police are evacuating traffic at the scene. Many citizens who went to watch the sea ceremony walked to the square in groups of three or five. At the entrance of the Saihai Square, there are 13 pigs wearing red flowers, and on the offering table at the back, there are flower dumplings, large sea bass, roosters and many melons and fruits carefully made by fishermen, attracting many tourists to stop and take pictures. The scene, with the beginning of the dragon dance and Yangge performances, was very lively.
The Tianheng Festival attracts many tourists
In the Yangge performance at the scene of the sea sacrifice ceremony, there was a 9-year-old cute baby "Le Dafu" who stole the spotlight with his strength and won the love of many citizens. Holding a flag in his left hand and a whisk in his right hand, wearing a fiery red costume with festive makeup, the flexible posture and skillful performance of the little "Doctor Le" adorned the audience and attracted bursts of applause.
The reporter learned at the scene that this cute baby's name is Wang Zifeng, from Haiyang, and she is a first-grade primary school student. "I play the role of 'Doctor Le', and in addition to that, I also play gongs and drums and cymbals. Wang Zifeng said.
"Doctor Le" Wang Zifeng (first from right) performed with the Yangge team
Wang Zifeng's mother Zheng Lijuan told reporters that she and the child's father are both actors in the Da Yangge Art Troupe, "It may be that under our influence, the child has been more fond of Da Yangge since he was a child, so we took him to practice together, and this time we also brought him to perform together." ”
Yangge performance before the ceremony begins
In the sea sacrifice ceremony, the most traditional part of the link is the scene of "inviting the dragon king". At 10:30 a.m., in a majestic and solemn shouting sound, the sacrificial officer read the sacrificial text, more than ten guards held the flag, carried the dragon king from the stage to the offering area, in the eyes of the public, the dragon king returned to the throne.
The scene of the most traditional "please dragon king" link
According to reports, the sea festival has a series of rigorous rituals and processes, the ceremonies of the sea god include burning incense, offering flowers, praying for good weather, dragon and lion dance performances, etc., these rituals and processes reflect the fishermen's awe and gratitude for the sea. During the festival, a variety of seafood delicacies are prepared, and various entertainment activities such as singing and dancing are held to celebrate the harvest and pray for peace.
Fishermen sing and dance to hold a festival to the sea
It is understood that the theme of this year's sea festival is "inheriting the ancient sea sacrifice ceremony and jointly protecting the marine environment", combining the traditional sea sacrifice ceremony with marine protection, emphasizing the relationship between people and the ocean, and calling on everyone to jointly protect the marine environment. The Tianheng Sea Festival carries the awe and gratitude of local fishermen to the sea, and is an important carrier of marine culture. The festival has a long historical background and profound cultural connotation, and its importance and significance lie in the fact that it is not only a celebration, but also a cultural symbol, conveying the spiritual sustenance of fishermen's wisdom and emotion.
Jiaodong Yangge at the Tianheng Festival of the Sea
The two-day festival will not only include traditional sea worship ceremonies, opera performances, evening parties, etc., but also a seafood fair. At the big set, the intangible cultural heritage inheritors make a variety of traditional delicacies on site for tourists to taste and buy, and folk handicraft products such as Jiaodong kite, fisherman's big dumpling, and Tian Hengxu cake will also be exhibited and sold. At the same time, at the sea festival, there are beach barbecues, seafood delicacies, fishermen's homestays, and a series of marine specialties and services of "Xian Mei Tianheng Dongtou" are launched, providing integrated services for procurement, entertainment and enjoyment for tourists.
Sea worship is a way for coastal residents on the mainland to be grateful to nature and express respect, and it is an important part of marine culture. It is worth mentioning that the Tianheng Sea Festival has become one of the larger sea festivals in the north of the mainland.
Source: Peninsula Metropolis Daily, Peninsula News client