Wufeng Folk Songs Section 3: Wufeng Tang Festival

Sacrifice in Wufengtang is a ritual of Confucianism. During the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty, the Confucian ritual system "Zhou Li" was revived and became famous among the people. The Tang Festival originated in the Zhou Dynasty, came into being in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, ended in the Qin and Sui Dynasties, revived in the Tang Dynasty, matured in the Song Dynasty and began to flow into the people. In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, it was introduced into Wufeng, a Tujia settlement, which merged with Tujia culture and followed the customs. From Kangxi to Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, 1949 became silent with social changes. After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, this traditional ceremony was revived among farmers in villages and towns such as Caihua and Fujiayan.

There are four kinds of sacrifices in the Tang Dynasty, namely, ancestor worship, ancestor worship and Confucius worship. The latter two have existed in name only. There are only the first two kinds of folk wedding and funeral customs in a few rural areas. There are eight kinds of etiquette in marriage, such as "three crowns" and "three rituals". Ten funeral instruments ranging from "display" to "ancestor worship". The deacon of the Tang Festival is composed of more than twenty people, including the chief priest, the sub-priest, the ritual lure (filial piety) student, the song boy and the music director.

The sacrificial rites in Tang Dynasty are composed of songs, poems and essays. Most of its contents come from ancient books such as The Book of Songs and Songs of the South, which involve ancestor worship, ethics, filial piety, honesty, diligent reading and so on to meet people's psychological needs.

Content, form, clothing, music, etc. Sacrifice in Tang Dynasty has the characteristics of simple life etiquette, coexistence and blending of local culture and China culture, and folk dependence. Therefore, she has the value of cultural anthropology, national folklore and its psychological research; From the process of its origin, emergence, maturity, transformation, prosperity, decline and evolution, she not only has historical research value; According to her spirit of being polite, filial to her parents, honest and trustworthy, and diligent, it also has practical educational functions.

Due to social changes and the impact of foreign cultures, Wufeng Tang Festival is on the verge of extinction. It has been approved by Hubei Provincial People's Government as the first batch of intangible cultural heritage protection list in the province.