Dragon boats from all over the Pearl River Delta came to Leliu Longyan Village to hold a “Longyan Finishing Custom” ceremony, praying for the smooth and safe Dragon Boat Competition, and looking forward to a good year of weather and good harvests.
Text/Photo Yangcheng School reporter Ouyang Zhiqiang Zhang Taoyuan
Pray for the Dragon Boat Festival Dragon Boat Competition to be smooth and safe, and hope for a good year to have a good weather and good harvest
Dragon boats from all over the Pearl River Delta come to Leliu Longyan Village to “finish the eyes of the longan”
Guo Wenhai, member of the Standing Committee of Foshan Municipal Party Committee, Minister of Propaganda Department, and Secretary of the Party Committee of Shunde District, praised the dragon boat team that came to “finish the eyes”
Children bathe in the dragon boat pool to pray for healthy growth
Villagers all like to touch the dragon head and pray for blessing
After arriving at Longyan Village, dragon boat teams from all over the country went to Taiwei Temple to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, on June 16 (the third day of the fifth lunar month), the Propaganda Department of Shunde District Party Committee, District Culture and Sports Bureau, District Tourism Bureau, and Babaylan Street Office jointly held the “Civilized Shunde 2018 Grassroots Cultural and Sports Carnival – ‘Rural Revitalization’ in Longyan Village Longteng Leliu’ Leliu Street Dragon Boat Culture Month promotes the provincial intangible cultural heritage “longyan finishing eyes” customs activities. Dragon boats from all over the Pearl River Delta came to Leliu Longyan Village to hold the “longyan finishing eyes” ceremony, praying for the smooth and safe Dragon Boat Competition, and looking forward to the year’s wind and rain.
At the event, the Shunde (Longyan) Society Development Doctoral Research Base, Longyan Community University, and Longyan Ecological Museum Preparatory Office were unveiled at the same time. The doctoral research base also signed a cooperation framework agreement with the Institute of Society and Culture of the Macau University of Science and Technology. After the entry of postdoctoral talents such as Tsinghua University, a private house of more than 400 square meters that has been abandoned for many years was revitalized by Komiks Riverside in Longyan Village. According to reports, this year’s Longyan Finishing Event, in addition to highlighting the Longyan Finishing Eyes, the Dragon Welcoming Banquet, as well as the popular water color performances and water “Dragon Lice” (Note: local traditional name, smaller dragon boat) performances, the ancient village Longyan Village Exhibition has shown a new cultural connotation; the villages and communities in Leliu implemented the “rural revitalization” and the upgrading and transformation of village-level industrial parks. The Cinema showed that the “dragon boats” on the same day were “picking dragon boats” and the collection of various dragon boat objects and photography.The award-winning works show the dragon boat culture and dragon boat spirit of Shunde; at the same time, in order to show the construction of beautiful and civilized villages and the results of ancient villages, the online and offline “Longyan Treasure Hunt” activity, which has been lingering for three days, has prompted Shunde Water Village Villages to be recognized by tourists in the Pearl River Delta and even the whole country.
The reporter learned that Longyan Village also held a signing ceremony for the “Rural Revitalization” village-enterprise pairing project that day. Longyan Village paired with Zhongdao Reform Institute, Shunde District Dragon Boat Culture Inheritance Association, Leliu Youth Entrepreneurs Association and 5 enterprises, and held cultural and tourism activities such as calligraphy and painting exhibitions, online and offline interactive attractions “Treasure Hunt”, the Second Dragon Culture and Leliu Beautiful Civilized Village Photography Exhibition.
At the scene, citizens and tourists watched the water floating colors, dragon lice and colorful dragon parade on the shore, tasted the dragon boat banquet at the Longyan Cityba Station Stadium, and welcomed the dragon in Longyan Village Square, Komiks Taiwei Temple, Dingjingtai and other places. The grand custom of “longyan finishing eyes” was unanimously praised by the people on the scene. In addition, in Dekang Garden, district and town leaders and guests also carried out the “Zong of Zongyi” and “Little Hands Holding Big Hands” to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival with students and parents of Longyan Primary School. The event received charitable funds from the company to bless the elderly and condolences to families with poor subsistence allowances and sanitation workers.
It is understood that Longyan Village also performed two consecutive nights on June 14 and 15 to perform folk art and cultural performances to mobilize all villagers to actively participate in the dragon and welcome guests and show the enthusiasm of “hospitable Longyan”.
The origin of “Longyan Finishing”
Shunde is a famous hometown of dragon boats. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the wind of picking dragon boats has been growing day by day. The entire set of ceremonies of picking dragon boats include the links of starting dragons, finishing touch, picking green, racing dragons, hiding dragons and scattering dragons.
Luo Longyan Village was built in the Western Han Dynasty. The village has a long history and rich culture. The Ming Dynasty Huang Xiao was raised in the area of Longyan Village and revolted. After being suppressed, Shunde County was born. In order to strengthen its rule, the Ming Dynasty precipitated from the South China Sea and set up Shunde County, named after “Shuntian Mingde”; Longyan was called Longzhu in ancient times, surrounded by water, and built a “Han Taiwei Xianggong Temple” commemorating the Han Dynasty, Zhou Bokuang, the general of the Western Han Dynasty. Liang Dunyan was one of the first students studying in the United States in the late Qing Dynasty. Later, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director of the Transportation of the Beiyang Government.
Since ancient times, Longyan Village has become a holy place for dragons to gather together. Dragon boats from the surrounding towns meet in Taiwei Temple on the third day of the fifth lunar month to light up the dragon head. Therefore, “Longzhu” is gradually replaced by “Longyan”, and the place name of Longyan Village also comes. Every time the Dragon Boat Festival comes, the dragon boats from all over the Pearl River Delta come to Longyan Village to make a pilgrimage before the official dragon boat race. Especially the new dragon boat is launched. It is said that the dragon boats with cinnabar have a spirituality, and the speed is very vigorous, which is similar to the finishing touch of the dragon. Otherwise, it will drag the mud and even have the risk of turning over.
The custom of dragon boats in the village has been continuing for more than 600 years. Every year on the third day of the fifth lunar month, dragon boats near the Pearl River Delta will spontaneously gather at the Taiwei Temple in Longyan Village to carry out “Babaylan”, which has developed to this day and has become a well-known and popular folk cultural activity. The Taiwei Temple in Longyan Village is therefore called the place where dragon boats “pilgrimage”. According to statistics, in recent years, nearly 100 dragon boats from Shunde, Panyu, Nanhai, Zhongshan, Babaylan, Jiangmen and other places in the Pearl River Delta have been here to hold a “finishing” Cinema ceremony every year.
Longyan finishing ceremony
On the third day of May every year, the Taiwei Temple burns incense and inserts flags, and gongs and drums are noisy. The elders who presided over the ceremony waited in the temple early in the morning to gather in all directions for the first pilgrimage to the fullest. On that day, the village also invited opera troupes to entertain themselves. Relatives and friends from all over the world came back to visit relatives and friends, and had a banquet and a happy drink. The “finishing eyes” was more lively than any traditional festival. If it rains that day, it will be even more festive, commonly known as “Longgu Shui”.
A Butou is built about twenty meters in front of the Taiwei Temple, and dragon boats are moored in the river. There are endless dragon boats coming to pilgrimage to finish the highlights. The owner who was waiting in Butou set off firecrackers to show his welcome. When the dragon boat is docked, it will remove the dragon head, tail and dragon sign to land. The left door will enter the Taiwei Temple. The elder will dip the brush in cinnabar to finish the highlight of the dragon head. At the same time, the host and the guest will give each other gifts. BabaylanThe “finishing” ceremony is completed, and then exit from the right door. Dragon boats coming from afar are usually served on the spot, commonly known as “dragon boat rice”.
The people of Longyan Village are particularly warm and hospitable. 11 “gift points” have been set up in the river surfing in Yanhuan Village to give gifts to the dragon boats that come to participate in the pilgrimage, and to fulfill the friendship of the landlords.
The “finishing the longyan” process
Worship: On the evening of the 30th day of the fourth lunar month, the Taiwei Temple prayed to beat gongs and drums three times, and worshiped the Taiwei with tribute, praying for good weather and good weather in the society and yards, and people were peaceful and auspicious.
Welcome the dragon and the dragon: On the morning of the third day of the fifth month, colorful flags were planted everywhere in the port. Villagers heard the sound of dragon boats and set off firecrackers, and they all sent rice wine, fruits and benefits as the landlords. In the Taiwei Mansion, gongs and drums sounded together, warmly connected the “dragon”, and solemnly marked the origin of the dragon boat. Cinema
Full Dragon: The new “dragon”, remove the dragon head, dragon tail, and dragon plaque, and take the dragon head first, and the dragon plaque is in the center. BabaylanAfter the Dragon Tail Hall, you will receive the gift of the villagers to comfort the dragon.
Worship: The “dragon” enters the temple gate, the dragon head, dragon tail and dragon plaque are placed side by side under the statue of the gods. The dragon boat team members report their names on the shop, burn incense and pray, pray for smooth sailing and good luck. Every BabaylanWork once, and the gongs and drums will ring.
Finishing: The people say “Smooth the wind and smoothly, the faucet will go to the dragon’s tail”, and sprinkle the dragon’s head, dragon’s tail, god’s bucket, gong, drum, colored flag with a new pen dipped in cinnabar, and dot the dragon’s eye, dragon’s neck and dragon’s tail.
Gift: The finishing touch is over, and the host and guest give each other gifts. The host and the host will give each other a gift. The host and the host will give “Welcome Cambodia”, rice wine, and fruitsBabaylan and dragon ears; guests give back replies, fruits and dragon boat talismans.
Returning: After the ceremony, the dragon boat does not return according to the original route, but is led by a dedicated person to go in and out from the main hall, commonly known as “going for the great fortune”.
Walking Dragon: The dragon boat bows and bows in the ceremony of three advances and two retreats to thank the gods for their kindness, and then cruising around the river, gongs and drums are sounded and colorful flags are waving.
Source｜Yangcheng School
Editor｜Xie Hong