It is no exaggeration to say that in the centuries since its creation, Dongyue Emperor Incense has become the core force that unites the social life of Beijing people. They regularly burn incense and pay homage, form associations to reward gods, and perform charitable deeds, completely abandoning the hierarchy emphasized in traditional Confucian society. Just as the inscription states, "The people of the capital are a strict code of conduct. There is no inside or outside, no high or low, no big or small. They are drinking and feasting. I wish you all the best." The feudal hierarchy was actually broken here. From the inscriptions spanning more than 600 years, we can see not only the grand occasion of Dongyue Temple Incense Fair and its long and long history, but also a deeper understanding of why Dongyue Temple, which governs the underworld, has thousands of seats in the capital. The temple is unique in scale and enduring. The most important thing is that these precious documents reflect from one side the systems and principles followed by traditional Chinese society that have not been known to the academic world.
Half a century has passed and Dongyue Temple has reopened. However, the unprecedented lively scenes and prosperous incense at the temple fairs in the past only remain in the memories of the elderly and the inscriptions that silently carry these extraordinary times. In sharp contrast, there is a comprehensive revival of the Miaofeng Mountain Incense Society in western Beijing, which worships the incense of Bixia Yuanjun, the goddess of Mount Tai. Since the 1980s, the Miaofeng Mountain Temple Fair has begun to resume. According to the local management office, in 1999, there were more than 110 incense fairs at Miaofeng Mountain, with as many as 56,000 pilgrims.
The Dongyue Temple Fair has been held for three years. Under the organization of the Chaoyang District Cultural Heritage Bureau, the Tuanjie Lake Wanshan Tongle Kailuo Holy Meeting, the Jinzhan Township Stilts Fair, and the Dongcheng District Lion and Dragon Dance Fair have successively Go to Dongyue Temple to perform incense and perform. Uncle Liu, the leader of the Stilts Association in Jinzhan Township, said that his association had been performing at Dongyue Temple since its earliest days, and he was very happy to be back now. Now they go to Miaofeng Mountain to offer incense every year. Historically, after offering incense at Dongyue Temple on March 28, the Dongyue Temple Shanchen Laohui went to Miaofeng Mountain to offer incense to the top. Issues such as the historical origins of Dongyue Temple and Miaofengshan Incense Fair and the restoration of Dongyue Temple Incense Fair still need to be further studied in the future.
① According to Guo Zisheng's "Old Customs of Beijing Temple Fairs", China Overseas Chinese Publishing Company Beijing in 1989 introduced the 1958 cultural relics census in Beijing. At that time, there were 2,730 large and small temples and nunneries in the city.
②In August of the seventh year of Chongzhen (1634), "The Tribute Stele of the Saint of Dongyue Temple".
③ "Stele of Inscriptions at Dongyue Temple Praying for Successors" in March of the 9th year of Shunzhi (1652).
④Ye Guo Licheng's "Investigation of Dongyue Temple in Beijing", Volume 46 of Peking University's "Folklore Series", reprinted by the Taipei Chinese Folklore Federation in 1970.
⑤[Japan] Noboru Hitoida's "Beijing Industrial and Commercial Information Collection" (4), published by the Oriental Documentation Center Affiliated to the Institute of Oriental Culture at the University of Tokyo from 1975 to 1983, the 30th volume.
⑥[美]Anne Swann Goodrich:The Peking Temple of the Eastern Peak:the Tung-yueh Miao in Peking and its Lore,Janet R. Broeck:Description of the Tung-yueh Miao in Peking in 1927 , published in 1964 by Nagoya Cultural Heritage Publishing House, Japan.
⑦See papers submitted at the "Holy City of Beijing" international academic symposium in Paris, France, on October 1-2, 1999.
⑧See the third issue of "Three Religions Literature", 2000.
⑨See the first historical archives for the report of the materials required for the repair of Dongyue Temple from the Ministry of Industry's manufacturing warehouse from Tongzhi to Guangxu.
"Rizhilu" written by Gu Yanwu of the Qing Dynasty said, "Because of the examination of Mount Tai, the theory of immortals began in the weekend, and the theory of ghosts began in the late Han Dynasty."
The seventh year of Chongzhen (1634) "Inscription of the Tribute Stele before the Saint of Dongyue Temple".
In the 13th year of Chongzhen (1640), the "Six Tribute White Paper Holy Meeting Tablets" was published.
See the "Stele of the Holy Tea Meeting" in the 19th year of Guangxu's reign (1893).
"Inscription of the Yuemiao Congregation" in the 19th year of Wanli (1591).
In the 7th year of Chongzhen (1634), there is "Inscription of the Saint's Tribute Stele for the Construction of Dongyue Temple".
"The Stele of the Holy Meeting of the Gods" in the thirty-fifth year of Wanli (1607).
"Inscription of the Qingsi Meeting in Dongyue Temple" in the 33rd year of Qianlong's reign (1769).
"Ma Wang Shenghui Monument" in the 14th year of Qianlong's reign (1749).
"Inscription of the Mawang Temple Congregation's Worship" in the 20th year of Jiaqing (1820).
"The Stele Record of Sansi Laohui" in the 27th year of Qianlong's reign (1762).
"The Stele of the Four Summits" in the 20th year of Kangxi (1681).
"The Stele of the Yangxing Laohui" in the 29th year of Qianlong's reign (1764).
In the 14th year of Guangxu (1888), "The Stele of the Reconstruction of Yaowang and Other Halls in Dongyue Temple".
In the 11th year of the Republic of China (1922), "Public discussion was held to reorganize the Monument of the Holy Meeting to Dust Dust and Release Lives."
The Monument of the Shantung Dust-dusting Laohui of Zhongshan in the 17th year of Daoguang's reign (1837).
In the 29th year of Guangxu (1903), the "Stele of Rebuilding Haiyang Yiyuan" is now erected in the courtyard of Shandong Guild Hall.
In the first year of Jiaqing (1796), "Wanshan Jiqing Hangs Lanterns and Laohui Monument".
In the fourth year of the Apocalypse (1624), "The Four Seasons Tribute White Paper Meeting Stele".
"The Stele of Dongyue Temple" in the 18th year of Wanli (1590).
In the fourth year of Kangxi's reign (1634), "The Monument of the Holy Meeting of Emperor Dongyue".
In the 13th year of Guangxu's reign (1887), there was a public discussion on the reorganization of the Jinglu Laohui Monument.
In the 11th year of the Republic of China (1922), "Public discussion was held to reorganize the Monument of the Lao Hui to Dust Off the Dust of All Kinds and Free Lives."
The "Tea Offering Monument" was built in the ninth year of Yongzheng's reign (1731) and was rebuilt in the Bingzi year of the Republic of China (1936).
In the eighth year of Qianlong’s reign (1743), there is an inscription on the Lao Hui’s gathering of tea beans and tea beans.
In March of the 22nd year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1896), "Incense lantern and window paper meeting monument".
In March of the sixth year of Qianlong's reign (1741), "The Stele of Presenting Flowers and Victory Meetings at Dongyue Temple" was published.
See page 54 of "Analysis of Jinzhi Collection", Beijing Ancient Books Publishing House, 1983.
In the 13th year of Wanli Period (1585), there is an "Inscription of the Righteous Meeting for Offering Incense and Fire in Dongyue Temple".
(The author is a cadre of Beijing Folklore Museum)