Cultural Connotation of Ancestral Temple

Cultural Connotation of Ancestral Temple

The cultural connotation of ancestral temples, many people have ancestral temples in their hometown, and the name "ancestral temple" first appeared in the Han Dynasty, when ancestral temples were built in tombs and called tomb temples; In the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu's Family Rites established the ancestral temple system, and from then on, the family temple was called the ancestral temple. The following is the cultural connotation of the ancestral temple.

The cultural connotation of ancestral temple is 1. Ancestral Temple, called "Home Temple" in ancient times, is an ancient building that is ubiquitous in rural areas of China. Historically, it was an important gathering place for family discussion, ancestor worship, tradition inheritance and family unity.

In modern times, ancestral temple culture, as a local cultural gene, is a direct medium to gain a sense of cultural belonging and enjoyment, which has practical and historical significance for the public's cultural identity and sense of belonging and the cultural construction of rural grassroots, and is also a very important traditional cultural heritage.

As an important part of national traditional culture, ancestral temple culture began to sprout in the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties thousands of years ago, formed a relatively complete system in the Song Dynasty, and reached its peak in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Ancestral Temple is a reflection of people's reverence for nature and ancestors in China's ancient farming society, and it is also a major policy that obeys and serves most historical dynasties. The flourishing age is recorded, and the flourishing age is built. The prosperity of ancestral temple culture also reflects the reality of social stability, economic development, political harmony, national prosperity and people's safety.

Three Significance of Ancestral Temple Culture

Educational significance: Ancestral temples are built on the basis of clan consanguinity, in order to sacrifice ancestors, strengthen the centripetal force and cohesion of the clan, and thus achieve the prosperity of the clan. Through the construction of ancestral temple, the association of hall names, sacrificial activities, the revision of genealogy and the formulation of clan rules and regulations, the blood relationship of clans is strictly sorted out, so as to achieve the purpose of ethics, mu, proper names and debate.

Normative significance: refers to the restriction of ancestral temple culture on the behavior of each member of the clan.

The significance of maintaining family ties: ancestral temple culture has played a role in unifying ethnic behavior and thoughts, maintaining social life stability, and maintaining the centripetal force and cohesion of all ethnic members.

Cultural connotation of ancestral temple 2 Ancestral temple culture refers to the traditional culture centered on ancestral temple, which is not only a cyberspace of rights, but also a multi-dimensional cultural space. The ancestral temple culture, represented by the same clan, is a direct medium to gain a sense of cultural belonging and enjoyment, which is of practical and historical significance to the relationship between overseas immigrants and their hometown and to the cultural identity and sense of belonging on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Ancestral temple culture, academy culture, family temple culture and local temple culture constitute the three-dimensional form of regional culture.

Ancestral temple culture reminds the clansmen at home and abroad who are in a foreign land to remember homesickness, which is the root of the constant pulling of clansmen at home and abroad.

The basic function of ancestral temple is to offer sacrifices to ancestors. By offering sacrifices to ancestors, the whole family members are linked by the continuation of the blood relationship with the same surname, forming the cohesion and affinity within the clan. In the cultural construction of new socialist countryside, the construction of rural civilization is an important aspect, and the ancestral temple represents the ancestors of a family and contains simple spiritual strength.

The ancestral temple is not only a bond to maintain the blood relationship between overseas villagers and local people, but also an important carrier for villagers and all future generations to understand the ancestral temple culture and the development history of local culture. The ancestral hall can be said to be a folk museum and a history of family changes.

Cultural connotation of ancestral temple. What is the ancestral temple?

Ancestral temple is a building place for holding sacrifices and paying homage to ancestors. A Confucius said: "A gentleman's business is based on his foundation. Filial piety is also the foundation of benevolence! " It means that deep roots can flourish, and ancestral halls water family roots, water ancestors and respect the world. This is the deep natural essence of the ancestral temple.

Second, the appearance of ancestral temple.

Before the Song Dynasty, China's rites were continued by rites. In the Song Dynasty, because of the long time difference, the continuation of the three generations of etiquette was no longer suitable for the requirements at that time. Therefore, Zhu made a new ceremony according to the situation at that time. This is mentioned in Zhu:

On the occasion of the three generations, a ceremony was prepared, but it was no longer suitable for the world. Although the world's gentlemen have changed from ancient times to modern times, they are more temporary. But it is also detailed or sketchy, to the letter, slow is practical, and urgent is writing. People who are interested in politeness can't say why, and they are poor.

It means that with the change of the times, the ceremony will also change. Although the rites of the three generations are complete, many poems are no longer suitable for the present era.

At that time, well-educated people changed according to the gifts of three generations and the actual situation, but the details were different. There is no compromise plan for popularization, and some even ignore the root and tail, or ignore the internal reality and only attach importance to external poems.

As a result, people who are interested in politeness cannot list the main points and follow them. The poor are worried that there will be no etiquette to follow after they finally die.

Therefore, it is a family book to study ancient and modern books separately, because they are generally immutable, which increases profits and losses. Generally speaking, I will respect my birthright, love and respect, and think this is the foundation.

When it was implemented, it was a little superficial in order to steal the advanced heritage of Confucius. I sincerely hope to get familiar with comrades and encourage them to do it. The ancients were so self-disciplined that they wanted to pursue the distant future and see each other again. However, in the country, they worship and guide the people, or they may make up for it.

Therefore, Zhu's browsing of ancient books follows general principles, which cannot be changed. And profit and loss. Generally speaking, the principles of sincere respect, loyalty and forgiveness are the basis of etiquette. When put into practice, it can not only embody courtesy and trust, but also be pragmatic. So as to achieve the significance of self-cultivation, cautious pursuit, and education-oriented.

Three generations ago, there were no temples. At this time, Zhu clearly put forward the "ancestral temple law". This is the official origin of the ancestral temple, which has officially appeared in people's lives since then, and its significance has influenced so far.

Third, the origin of the historical evolution of the ancestral temple

In the ancient feudal society of China, the concept of family was quite profound. Often one or several families live in a village, and more temples are built to worship their ancestors. Ancestral temples often appear in Japan. This kind of family temple is generally called "ancestral hall", which is divided into ancestral hall, branch temple and family temple.

The name "ancestral hall" first appeared in the Han Dynasty, when ancestral halls were built in tombs, which were called tombs. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu's Family Rites established the ancestral hall system, and from then on, he called his family temple the ancestral hall. At that time, there was a hierarchical restriction on the construction of ancestral temples, and people were not allowed to set up ancestral temples. During Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty, "many people entered the ancestral temple", but later when they became emperors or marquis, they were called "home temples", and the rest were called ancestral temples.

Besides offering sacrifices to ancestors, ancestral temples have many uses. The ancestral hall is also the place where the patriarch exercises clan rights. Anyone who violates the clan rules is educated here until he is expelled from the ancestral hall, so it can also be said to be a court of feudal morality. Ancestral temples can also be used as social places for families; Some ancestral temples have affiliated schools, where children of ethnic minorities go to school.

Because of this, ancestral temple buildings are generally larger and of better quality than residential buildings. The more powerful and wealthy families, the more exquisite their ancestral halls are. The tall hall, exquisite carvings and excellent materials have become the symbol of this family's glory.

Most ancestral temples have hall numbers, written by calligraphers with ethnic or foreign surnames, and made into gold plaques to be hung in the main hall, along with other plaques such as the origin of surnames, ethnic glory, and female chastity. The exquisite one is also equipped with couplets. If it is sealed by the emperor, you can make a "straight plaque".

The specifications and quantity of plaques in the ancestral hall are the capital that the people show off. Some ancestral halls have flagpole stones in front of them, indicating that the people have won fame. Generally speaking, ancestral halls have surnames and shrines. In the old society, clan rules were very strict, not to mention foreign surnames, that is, women or underage children in the clan were not allowed to enter without authorization, otherwise they would be severely punished.

Tracing back to the historical evolution, after liberation, especially the unprecedented movement in the 1960s, the old ancestral halls in rural areas were basically demolished or converted into office buildings. Ancestor ranking, including some genealogies hidden in it, was burned down, and later generations did not know why the ancestral temple was used and what it was used for everywhere.

Fourth, the existing ancestral temple culture and its status.

In the long feudal society of China, each clan surname has its own ancestral hall, but the ancestral hall of the most powerful family is built in a luxurious style; A ancestral temple built by a little surname, simple.

Ancestral Temples Before the Cultural Revolution, according to incomplete statistics, there were dozens of intact ancestral temples in each county. After the Cultural Revolution, these original ancestral temples were demolished to rebuild schools or build grain depots, leaving few.

The specifications of ancestral halls are different. The ancestral hall has three bays, with white walls and blue tiles and upturned eaves. There are also dozens of acres of large plaques hanging high, with limestone drums carved with mascots such as dragons, tigers and unicorns on both sides of the door. Most of the high-standard ancestral halls are made of wood, with exquisite wood carvings and lifelike.

The gables made of monochromatic blue bricks are magnificent, hundreds of meters long and nearly 6 meters high. There is no trace of the invasion of time, and the nails on the wall are clearly visible. The stone carving above the side door of the wall "Purple gas comes from the east" is fluent and eye-catching. The ancients who built the ancestral temple had a sense of fire protection, and there were ponds and other supporting buildings on the empty square of the ancestral temple. Unfortunately, most of them were destroyed by many turbulent wars in history.

After liberation, ancestor worship was abolished as a "feudal thing", and the old ancestral hall became a school for teaching and educating people, which continued to benefit the descendants of the family and cultivated generations of family descendants.