Tianri is the ninth day of the first lunar month, the birthday of the Jade Emperor in Chinese folklore. The ninth day of the first lunar month is usually just after the beginning of spring. It is the "first yang" and the moment when nature begins to "rejuvenate". Wang Kui of the Ming Dynasty recorded in "Li Hai Ji": "The gods are born to initiate righteousness. If the Jade Emperor is born on the ninth day of the first lunar month, the yang number starts from one and reaches nine, which is the original end." The Ming Dynasty Zodiac Zhou's "Yue Ling Ming Yi": "On the first day of the first lunar month, the heavens, gods and earth only worship the Jade Emperor of the Three Qing Dynasties; on the ninth day of the lunar month, the Jade Emperor celebrates his birthday." There is a similar record in "Yue Ling Annotation" written by Huang Xi of the Qing Dynasty.
Tianri is also called "The Jade Emperor's Birthday" and "Tiangongsheng". On this day, the Taoist temple will hold a grand birthday celebration ceremony and chant sutras and worship. On this day, every household will bow to the sky and hold the most solemn ceremony. The main customs include worshiping the Jade Emperor, Taoist temples and fasting to the sky. In some places, women prepare fragrant flowers, candles and fasting bowls and place them in the open air at the entrance of the courtyard and lane to worship the sky and seek blessings from God. Basic introduction Chinese name: Tianri belongs to: Ninth day of the first lunar month Legend: The birthday of the Jade Emperor in Chinese folklore Also known as: Jade Emperor's Birthday Folklore, Taoist commemorative activities, worship ceremonies, local customs, introduction, Jade Emperor, liturgy, folklore The ninth day of the first lunar month is said to be the Jade Emperor’s Christmas day, and people in Tianshui call it the birthday of God. The full name of the Jade Emperor is Haotian Golden Tower, the supreme, natural, wonderful and wonderful Miluo, the true Jade Emperor God. He is the supreme god of Taoism in the eyes of the world. According to legend, he was the prince of the Guangyan Miaole Kingdom. He gave up his throne to learn Taoism and practice Buddhism in Puming Xiangyan Mountain, assisted the country and saved the people, and saved all living beings. He experienced three thousand two hundred tribulations before he became a golden immortal. After another hundreds of millions of tribulations, he became a jade god. emperor. He was born at noon on the ninth day of the first month of the year Bingwu, and was in charge of people, gods, and ghosts in the ten directions inside and outside the three realms. He commanded the four heavenly kings, the nine-obsidian star officials, the emperors of the five directions, the four-level meritorious officials, the twenty-eight constellations, the dragon kings of the four seas, and hundreds of civil and military officials. Taoist Commemorative Activities for the Jade Emperor On the ninth day of the first lunar month of every year, on the birthday of the Jade Emperor, Taoist temples in various places hold grand ceremonies and perform sutras and repentance. Its famous Taoist temples include Yanqing Temple in Kaifeng, Baiyun Temple in Beijing, Taiqing Palace in Shenyang, Yuhuang Pavilion in Changye, Shanxi, Baxian Temple in Xi'an, Jintai Temple in Baoji and Yuquan Temple in Tianshui. On the ninth day of the first lunar month, men, women, and children from Tianshui all go to Yuquan to watch the pilgrimage and offer incense. It was spring time, and there were crowds of people inside the temple. The halls were brightly lit, flags and flags were hung high, and cigarette smoke was thick. Each of the spectators held a wooden board about two and a half feet long and three inches wide, called a plywood, and danced as they walked. There were colorful flags and palace lanterns in front of them to clear the way, dragon flags, Sanqing flags, holy statues, phoenix flags, and flying tiger flags. , Golden Umbrella followed closely behind. Suona, pipe, flute, sheng and other wind instruments, percussion instruments such as sieve gongs, drums, hinges, seven-star gongs, three-star gongs, dead gongs and explosive gongs are in the center. The plywood team consists of dozens of people wearing yellow cloud-side uniforms and headbands. It consists of men wearing blue cloth turbans. The dance steps are Xingxiang steps and the drum beats are "chi bah eat bah bah bah, bah eat bah eat pa". The old dance team gathered from Dongqiaotou and passed through Wanshou Palace, Shifangtang, Dongguan Guandi Temple, Wenchang Palace, Niangniang Temple, Guhuntang, Renheli, Dongguan City Gate, City God Temple, Confucian Temple, Fendou Alley, Beisi Temple, Shaanxi Guild Hall, Zhongyi Lane, Yusheng Lane, Xiguan Guandi Temple, Renzong Temple, Huoshen Temple, then pass through Xihuzui into Shang'an Valley, enter Yuquan to view Yuhuang Pavilion, then turn north to Sanqing Hall and end at Sanxian Cave. Planting holly: Tianshui on the ninth day of the first lunar month is also called Shangjiu. Tianshui has been used to warm the birthday of God since the eighth day of the lunar month. Paper cannons are fired and incense is offered for sacrifice. On the ninth day of the lunar month, cooked pig heads are offered in the yard to offer sacrifices to heaven. When visiting Yuquan, everyone should insert a bunch of holly, which is called auspicious grass, and present it to the Medicine King to eliminate disasters and avoid diseases. Yuquan Temple enshrines thirteen medicine kings, the only ones seen in the country. They were Shen Nong. They traveled across mountains and rivers, tasted hundreds of herbs, and searched for good medicines to cure diseases and detoxify people who died in infancy. It was passed down that they had the "Shen Nong's Classic of Herbs". Qibo was Huangdi's imperial physician. "Huangdi Neijing" was asked by Huangdi and Qibo answered it. Lei Gong, at the same time as Qi Bo, co-authored the Huangdi Neijing. Bian Que, a famous medical scientist in the Spring and Autumn Period, with a surname of Qin and a name of Yue, was the founder of acupuncture. Cang Gong, also known as Chun Yuyi, was born in the Western Han Dynasty. She was the first female medical scientist in Chinese history, specializing in gynecology. Zhang Zhongjing, Mingji, was born in the Eastern Han Dynasty. He wrote Treatise on Febrile Diseases and Miscellaneous Diseases and was called a medical sage in later generations. Hua Tuo, Zi Yuan Hua, a native of the Three Kingdoms period, was the first miracle doctor in Chinese history to invent anesthetics. Huangfu Mi, a native of the Western Jin Dynasty, was the master who launched the acupuncture school. "Acupuncture Classics A and B" is the greatest acupuncture treatise in history. Wang Shuhe, a native of the Western Jin Dynasty, authored the "Mai Jing". Ge Hong, whose courtesy name was Zhichuan and whose nickname was Baopuzi, was from the Eastern Jin Dynasty. He had a medical book called "Behind the Elbow". Tao Hongjing, courtesy name Tongming, was born in the Southern Dynasties and was known as the "Prime Minister of the Mountains". "Shen Nong's Materia Medica" was a masterpiece of pharmacology before the Qin and Han Dynasties. Sun Simiao, a native of the Tang Dynasty, is the author of "A Thousand Gold Prescriptions" and "A Thousand Gold Prescriptions". Li Shizhen, a native of the Ming Dynasty, is known as the "Sage of Medicine" and the author of "Compendium of Materia Medica". These thirteen people all made great contributions to medicine, so Tianshui was regarded as the King of Medicine. The ceremony of worshiping the Lord every day is quite grand. An altar is set up under the Tiangong furnace in the main hall. Generally, a long bench or a low bench is used to place gold paper first and then stack the Eight Immortals table as the "top table". The table surround has an auspicious pattern and a lower table is set behind it.
On the top table is a sacred throne made of colored paper, symbolizing the throne of Heaven. There is an incense burner in the front and center. In front of the burner, there are three bunches of red paper thread and three cups of tea. Next to the burner are candlesticks; behind it are arranged five tangerines, tangerines and apples. , bananas, sugar cane and other fruits, Liuzhai golden needles, fungus, mushrooms, cabbage sums, wild beans, mung beans, etc. to pay homage to the Jade Emperor; the lower table offers five animals: chicken, duck, fish, eggs, pork or pork tripe, pork liver, sweets Raw kernels, rice dates, cakes, etc., red turtle cakes are shaped like turtles, dyed red on the outside, and marked with turtle shells to symbolize human longevity and other gods worshiped by the Jade Emperor. Before worshiping the Heavenly God, the whole family must fast and bathe. On the ninth day of the Lunar New Year, family members are prohibited from drying their clothes, especially women's pants and underwear, or emptying trash cans to show respect for the Jade Emperor. If animals are used as sacrifices, Be sure to use roosters, not hens. If you want to repay the wish, you must use whole pigs or whole sheep. Some devout families think that worshiping at home is not enough, and they will rush to Tiangong temples in various places overnight, such as the Temple of Heaven on Zhongyi Road in Tainan, Taiwan, the Tiangong Altar in Kaohsiung, and the Muzha Nanzhi Temple, etc., every year at the beginning of the Lunar New Year Bajia is brightly lit and lively. There is also a ceremony to honor Tai Sui on the day when God is born. People whose zodiac signs conflict with Tai Sui can go to the temple, write their name, age, add some sesame oil money, and let the temple be responsible for making offerings. There is another way to comfort Tai Sui: at the beginning of the year, use the rice tubes that usually hold rice and surround it with red pieces to make a stove, write "Tai Sui Xingjun is here", and then worship it every day. Local customs regard the Tianri Festival as a festival to experience the concept of unity between man and nature and to experience Taoist culture. ① Wear Hanfu and go to a Taoist cultural site to watch the Taoist fasting ceremony. ②Hold a small heaven-sacrifice ceremony at home. ③Make Tangyuan by yourself and eat it with the whole family. Drink tea after eating. Southern Fujian and Taiwan People in Fujian and Taiwan call the Jade Emperor the ‘Godfather’. On the ninth day of the first lunar month, the whole family will ‘worship the Godfather’, fasting and bathing, offering incense and saluting, worshiping and chanting scriptures, and in some places they even perform operas to entertain the gods. In the past, there was a custom in northern China to hold the Jade Emperor Festival and carry the Jade Emperor statue around the villages and streets. The 25th day of December is said to be the day when the Jade Emperor comes to visit the human world. In the old days, Taoist temples and people would burn incense and chant sutras to greet the Jade Emperor. The ancients believed that nine represented the majority, the most, and the largest in quantity, so it was the highest. Also known as Tianri, this day is said to be the birthday of the Jade Emperor and must be celebrated grandly. Nine is a homophonic word for wine, and nine cannot be separated from wine. Every household prepares sumptuous banquets to drink to their heart's content to celebrate the Jade Emperor's birthday. On this night in the old days, men and women gathered under a big tree (preferably the osmanthus tree) to sing and invite the Jade Emperor's favorite daughter, the Seven Fairies, to come down to earth. The songs they sang must be happy and auspicious to make the Seven Fairies excited. When she was excited, her father, the Jade Emperor, came to the world. Will bless everything going well in the world. The Enshi Tujia people also believe that doing things on the ninth day will achieve twice the result with half the effort, so there is a saying that seven days will not go out, eight days will not return, and nine days will be spent to do a lot of things. Seven out means not to go out to do business or do things on the seventh day of the lunar month. If you don't do it well, you won't be able to do it. The eight no return means that people who are away from home should not go home on this day. Return means completion. The eight means send, and what should be sent should not have the meaning of completion. Doing a lot of things on the ninth day means that if you do things on the ninth day, you will be blessed by the Jade Emperor. Not only can you get things done, but you can also do them efficiently and efficiently. To this day, some elderly people will still put difficult things to do on this day. On this day, things will be done well. This is actually a common belief formed by people over a long period of time. When communicating with people, they think that the emperor is above them and do not dare to be hypocritical and make things difficult. If they are reasonable and fair to each other, things will be done easily. Hakka people The Hakka people call heaven "God of Heaven", "God of Heaven", "God of God", "Jade Emperor", etc. The worship of Heavenly God is a common custom in the Hakka area. This custom, especially in the southern Fujian area, pays more attention to "God's birth" than celebrating New Year's Day. This custom was also brought to Malaysia by our ancestors and even formed one of the characteristics of local religious culture. In Malaysia, the Tiangong Festival is particularly lively on the island of Penang, which is dominated by Fujian people. Every year from the eighth to the ninth day of the first lunar month, believers flock to Fengshan Tiangong Altar to pay homage to the mountain. In addition, the Zhouqiao sea clan community in the urban area of ??Penang Island has traditionally held a collective worship ceremony on the roadside every year on this day; the descendants of the Zhou surname in Xinglin Village, Zhangzhou, who live locally, and many clan members who have migrated abroad, People will gather in front of the bridge at midnight to hold religious and celebratory ceremonies. Introduction Many of the folk gods in southern Fujian and Taiwan are imaginary gods. In order to explore the mysteries of the universe, human beings have formed myths from bizarre thoughts. Myths are fantasy stories based on real things. Therefore, many of the imaginary gods in southern Fujian and Taiwan come from mythology. Therefore, it was easy for ancient people to imagine that there was also a supreme god in the world of gods, the Supreme Godhead, the Jade Emperor, also known as the Jade Emperor, commonly known as the God of Heaven. All the gods in the universe are under his rule. Before there was heaven and earth, he existed. He created the heavens and earth and all things were created by him. He himself lives in heaven forever, but he appoints gods to come to the world to observe the good and evil in the world. Therefore, , he can be said to be the unified god, with the supreme godhead, and most people believe in him as the supreme god. People in southern Fujian and Taiwan worship the "Jade Emperor" as the supreme god, also known as "Jade Emperor", "Jade Emperor God", "Haotian God", "Tian Zu Gong", "Heaven Emperor", "Jade Emperor", commonly known as "God", "God", etc. The "Jade Emperor" lives in Jade Capital in the sky, hence the name "Jade Emperor". Not only did the emperor in the human world command the people, but he also commanded the gods of heaven and earth. All the immortals and Buddhas of all religions were subject to his orders. He could be called the god among gods.
Jade Emperor Taoism calls the supreme ruler of the heavens the Jade Emperor. He is like an emperor in the human world. He controls the thirty-six heavens above and the seventy-two earth below. He is in charge of all gods, Buddhas, immortals, saints, and things in the human world and the underworld. Also known as Tiangong, Tiangongzu, Jade Emperor, Jade Emperor, Jade Emperor, and Jade Emperor God. According to the "Collection of the Journey of the Jade Emperor", the prince of the Guangming Miao Le Kingdom gave up his throne and studied Taoism and cultivation in Xiangyan Mountain of Jin Ming Dynasty. He assisted the country and saved the people, and transformed all living beings. After hundreds of millions of calamities, he finally became the Jade Emperor. It is said that the Jade Emperor is the Taoist 'Yuanshi Tianzun' (that is, the abbreviation of Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun. The highest god enshrined in Taoism.) The ancients believed that "Heaven" is the master of all things in the universe and the origin of the growth and development of all things, so it cannot be Do not respect heaven and fear fate, but follow the path of heaven. So "Heaven" ordered the emperor to come to the human world to govern the people. The emperor must comply with the will of God, so that the weather can be smooth and the country and the people can be safe. Otherwise, if the emperor violates the laws of heaven, heaven will send down various disasters and punishments. Since the emperor governs the world under the orders of "Heaven", he has to worship "Heaven". Regular "sacrifice to Heaven" is not only the duty that the emperor must perform, but also a grand ceremony of the country. The emperor reveres "Heaven", and the people and officials naturally also revere "Heaven". However, "Heaven" is invisible and vague, so how can people sacrifice to him? For this reason, "Heaven" was specifically deified and called the "Jade Emperor". Because the Jade Emperor was a god derived from human imagination, there was no statue of the god. It was only during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty that a statue was made of him, and he was regarded as his own ancestor and named the Jade Emperor. Rules the three realms of heaven, earth and man. According to folklore in southern Fujian and Taiwan, the "Jade Emperor God" is not only appointed by the emperor to rule the world, but also rules over Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and other gods, as well as natural gods and personal gods - That is to say, the so-called gods, earth, humans and ghosts in ancient times are all under its jurisdiction. The gods are the deifications of all natural objects in the sky, including the sun, moon, stars, Feng Bo, Rain Master, Siming, Sanguan Emperor, Wuxian Emperor, etc. The Jade Emperor is also one of the gods. The earth is the deification of all natural objects on the ground, including the gods of the land, the gods of the country, the gods of mountains, rivers and seas, the five sacrificial gods, and the gods of all things. Human ghosts are the figures in history who died after their death. Deified ones include sir, ancestor, ancestor, teacher, hero, and other historical figures. Moreover, the Jade Emperor God rules over the gods of the three realms of heaven, earth and man. He also has to control the rise and fall of heaven and earth, the ups and downs of all things in the universe, and the good and bad fortunes. Therefore, there is a political organization like the human world, so the popular view is that the Jade Emperor Under God, in terms of central administration, there is Emperor Wenchang who manages academic affairs, Emperor Guansheng who manages business, Emperor Qiaosheng who manages public affairs, and Emperor Shennong who manages agriculture; in terms of local administration, there is City God. , Lord of the Realm, Lord of the Land, Lord of the Foundation, Emperor Dongyue, King Qingshan, and in terms of justice, there are Emperor Edu and the King of Hell of the Ten Palaces; in short, the Jade Emperor God is the God among gods, so everyone regards the Jade Emperor God as the The Supreme among Gods. Yuanshi Tianzun, the Jade Emperor, is one of the highest gods in Taoism. He is the supreme being at the beginning of all things, so he is also known as "Yuanshi Tianzun". His status is only below that of Sanqing Zunshen. But in the eyes of the secular world, the Jade Emperor is the largest deity in China and the king of gods. In "Journey to the West", the Jade Emperor rules over all gods, earth, humans and ghosts. He lives in the palace in the sky, and his official office is the magnificent Lingxiao Palace. His martial gods include the Tota King, Prince Nachi, the Giant Spirit God, the Four Heavenly Kings, the Twenty-Eight Constellations, the Jiuyao Star, the Five Directions Jiedi, etc., and the literary gods include Li Laojun, Taibai Jinxing, Wenquxing, Qiu Zhenren, Xu Zhenren, etc. He also governs the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, the gods of the Thunder Department, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and the Lord of Yamas of the Ten Halls. The Jade Emperor originated from the ancient worship of the Heavenly Emperor. During the Yin and Shang Dynasties, people called the highest god the emperor, or the emperor of heaven, or the god. This was a great god who controlled heaven, earth, and civil and military officials. The rulers of the Zhou Dynasty and later generations used the worship of the Emperor of Heaven to advocate the "divine right of kings" and vigorously claimed that they were the sons of the Emperor of Heaven, so they were called "Son of Heaven". When local Taoism emerged, the Taoists invited the Emperor of Heaven in and made him the emperor of the immortal world, taking charge of the three realms, ten directions, four lives, and six realms. The Jade Emperor became the highest god worshiped by all people (mainly Han people). The deified image of the Emperor, who was originally relatively abstract and conceptual, was further deified and personified. Taoist theorists specially compiled a "Jade Emperor Sutra" to record the "miracles" of the five emperors' lives. It is said that he was originally the prince of the Guangyan Miaole Kingdom in an extremely distant era. Later, he gave up the throne and studied Taoism and cultivation in the mountains, assisted the country and saved the people, and saved all living beings. After three thousand two hundred kalpas, he became the Golden Immortal and became the "Pure Nature Awakened King Tathagata". After experiencing disasters, he became the Jade Emperor. Statues or portraits of the Jade Emperor usually wear nine-piece robes and a crown of twelve rows of beads. Some hold a jade scepter and are accompanied by golden boys and girls. They are completely dressed like the emperors of the Qin and Han Dynasties. Taoist priests can only use the most noble image in the world to portray the king of gods. Emperors of the world are also happy to see their own shadow in the master of the fairy kingdom. Due to the vivid memories of our ancestors, it is no wonder that some good men and women in southern Fujian and Taiwan believed that the Jade Emperor was the master who controlled the good and bad fortunes of the world. They were even more convinced that he also controlled the growth, conservation, rewards and punishments of all things in the world, and was a supreme figure. The Jade Emperor is a majestic god, so the Jade Emperor’s Christmas ceremony is different from other ceremonies held by other gods. Because the Jade Emperor is a god imagined by people, he is regarded as a natural ancestor and named the Jade Emperor. Because the Jade Emperor was so noble and great, the people could not build a statue for him, but instead used the "Tiangong furnace" as a symbol. If believers want to worship the Jade Emperor, they should burn incense in the "Heavenly Furnace" every day. Another theory is that the Jade Emperor is the "Heavenly Official" among the three emperors, so they should burn incense in the "Three Worlds Furnace" to pay tribute.
Some rural houses only erect an incense bamboo pole in front of the courtyard door to express the invisible presence of the Jade Emperor, and they burn incense every morning and evening to worship. Liturgy Chinese people believe that the ninth day of the first lunar month is the birthday of the Jade Emperor, which is the so-called "Jade Emperor's Birthday". It is commonly known as "Tiangongsheng" in southern Fujian and Taiwan. On that day, the Taoist temple will hold a grand birthday celebration ceremony and chant sutras and worship. On this day, every household will bow to the sky and hold the most solemn ceremony. On this day, be gentle when dealing with others and do not offend the gods. Many Taoist temples celebrate Tiangong to show their gratitude to God. In particular, Fujianese people pay more attention to Tiangong’s birthday. In order to commemorate their ancestors, they hid in sugar cane gardens during the New Year to avoid being hunted and escaped danger. Therefore, later generations specially use sugar cane to worship God on the birthday of God; some even invite magicians to perform rituals to pray for blessings from God. The ceremony to worship Tiangong starts from the early morning of the ninth day of the lunar month and lasts until dawn. On the eve of this day, the whole family must fast and bathe, and hold worship services in a solemn and awe-inspiring mood. Every household places an Eight Immortals table in front of the main hall, sets up an altar, and prepares magic lamps, five fruits (tangerines, tangerines, apples, bananas, etc.) on the table. Sugar cane), Liuzhai (lily needles, fungus, mushrooms, cabbage sum, peas, tofu, etc.), as well as noodle towers, and there are also three cups of tea, sweet cakes, and turtles. When the time comes, the whole family will dress and dress according to their dignity. They burn incense one by one, kneel three times and kowtow nine times, and then burn God's gold. The ninth day of the first lunar month is the birthday of the Jade Emperor, so is there no heaven and earth from the first to the eighth day of the first lunar month? Legend has it that the kitchen god of each household monitors the good and evil of his family, and reports to heaven on the night of the 24th day of the lunar calendar to the Jade Emperor. On the 25th, the Jade Emperor follows the gods to patrol the heavens and determines the blessings and misfortunes of the people in the coming year. . Therefore, most people fast, bathe, and burn incense to worship him. Many people in southern Fujian and Taiwan, especially in rural areas, worship the Jade Emperor very much. The widespread worship of the Jade Emperor reflects people's fascination with the unknown world and dissatisfaction with reality, as well as their awe of divine power and their pursuit of immortality.