User:Pan Yilin

My name is Pan Yilin, a 23-year-old native of Huaihua, Hunan Province, China. Currently enrolled at Hunan Normal University, I am pursuing a degree in Japanese Translation with a focus on written language. Beyond academics, I nurture a passion for music, where my talents shine brightest in singing and playing the pipa, an exquisite traditional Chinese lute. This blend of cultural pursuits and linguistic skills shapes my unique identity, driving me forward in both artistic expression and cross-cultural understanding.

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Zhongyuan Festival

The Zhongyuan Festival is one of the major traditional festivals in China, falling on the 14th or 15th day of the seventh lunar month. Originally named by Taoism, it is known as "Ullambana Festival" in Buddhism and commonly referred to as the Ghost Festival, or the Festival of the Dead, or the Seventh Month Half Festival. The Zhongyuan Festival serves the dual purposes of ancestor worship and gratitude, with filial piety as its spiritual core. It is a unique presence among China's traditional folk festivals and an important occasion for Chinese people to express filial piety and remembrance for their deceased parents and relatives.

Historical Origins of the Zhongyuan Festival As one of the four major traditional Chinese sacrificial festivals, the Zhongyuan Festival has historical roots in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Its name originates from Taoism, and its customs stem from the ancient Confucian practice of autumn sacrifices. By the Song Dynasty, it had evolved into a festival observed three times in one day, with Taoists sacrificing to the Earth God on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month each year to pray for determining good and evil in the human world, while the people sacrificed to their ancestors and wandering ghosts. Influenced by Confucianism, Buddhism established the Ullambana Assembly to help the souls of ancestors transcend. Taoism, as China's indigenous religion, also emphasizes filial piety due to the influence of the patriarchal system, which is why the ancestor worship customs of the Zhongyuan Festival have taken root among the people.

Main Traditional Customs

1、Burning Paper Money: Burning paper money is the most solemn sacrificial activity during the Ghost Festival. The time for burning paper money varies from region to region. In some areas, people burn it in advance, on the 14th day of the seventh lunar month. However, generally speaking, the paper money burning activity on the evening of the 15th day of the seventh lunar month is the most grand.

Legend has it that at midnight on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, the King of Hell will close the Gates of Hell, so those wandering ghosts will take the opportunity to cause trouble. To prevent mountain gods and wandering ghosts from entering their homes, every household burns paper money inside and outside their houses, lights incense and candle paper to surround their houses, and children are not allowed to go out at night to prevent being taken away by wandering ghosts in the chaos.

2、Ancestor Worship: Commonly known as grave worship, it mainly involves burning incense, offering sacrifices, and kowtowing at the gravesite. In modern times, people usually go to their relatives' gravesites to pay their respects. In ancient times, this custom was very popular. Due to differences in local customs, the forms of ancestor worship also vary. Some people go to the countryside to visit their ancestors' graves, some go to the ancestral hall to worship, and most set up ancestral tablets in the main hall at home, display offerings, and then the worshippers offer incense and kowtow in order of age. For ancestor worship, fish and meat dishes are usually prepared and served in tall bowls, resembling the grandeur of ancient banquets with bells and tripods.

Inheritance and Dissemination of Zhongyuan Festival Culture

The Zhongyuan Festival is one of China's traditional sacrificial festivals, serving the dual purposes of ancestor worship and gratitude, with filial piety as its spiritual core. Neighboring countries such as Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia have been influenced by it and have established similar festivals. Due to various reasons, the Zhongyuan Festival has not received much attention among young people in China. However, inheriting and disseminating Chinese traditional festivals is not only necessary for promoting the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation but also for obtaining the cultural identity of overseas Chinese towards Chinese culture. Therefore, while disseminating Chinese culture externally, we should also inherit this traditional festival of ancestor worship and filial piety. (Zhang Fangying, Mao Haiying, 2022.09)

Current Status of Dissemination at Home and Abroad

In China, unlike other traditional festivals with fixed customs, the way the Zhongyuan Festival is celebrated has varied greatly across different regions since ancient times. For example, in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, there is a custom called "Shi Shi" (offering food to the hungry ghosts), which is influenced by the Buddhist Ullambana Festival and involves sacrificing to wandering ghosts on this day.

In Hebei and Shanxi provinces, sending sheep is a custom during the Zhongyuan Festival. According to legend, to mend his relationship with his nephew, the God Erlang borrowed the homophone of the surname "Yang" (sheep) and sent a pair of live sheep made of aloeswood every Zhongyuan Festival. Therefore, locals also use this custom to maintain family ties.

Shepherds in Shanxi province will sacrifice sheep to the gods on this day to seek prosperity. In the Qidong area of Shandong province, the ancient custom of the Zhongyuan Festival is to hold a melon festival. There are also different customs for the Zhongyuan Festival in Henan, Sichuan, Guangxi, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hunan, Hubei, and other places. Therefore, there are no fixed activities for the Zhongyuan Festival, and each region has its unique customs, which are difficult to retrieve once lost.

As a Chinese traditional festival, the Zhongyuan Festival was spread to countries such as Japan, Silla (an ancient Korean kingdom), Singapore, and Malaysia through China's foreign exchanges, where it took root and developed new forms. In Singapore, the Zhongyuan Festival was brought over by a large number of Chinese immigrants in modern times, and through development and evolution, it has created new content that adapts to the current era in Singapore. For example, the "July Song Stage" is a performance activity that entertains both people and ghosts. Many non-Chinese also actively participate in Zhongyuan Festival activities and incorporate public welfare elements such as social charity and caring for vulnerable groups, thereby diluting the religious overtones of the festival and increasing the understanding and identification of the younger generation with the Zhongyuan Festival. In Malaysia, local Chinese hold Zhongyuan Pudu activities in temples, such as worshiping the Pudu Gong (a deity related to the festival) and holding song stage performances. One of the most distinctive features is the Pudu Opera, which has the meaning of blessing and warding off evil, and is mostly Cantonese and Fujianese opera. (Zhang Fangying, Mao Haiying, 2022.09)

References

1、Fu Gongzhen, Fan Liewu. A Brief Analysis of the "Zhongyuan Festival" and Its Practical Significance. 2、Zhang Yongtao. Chinese Traditional Ghost Festival and Its Cultural Implications. Lanzhou University, 2012 (from "Rootsearch", 2008). 3、 Hu Mengsheng. The Cultural Implications of the "Zhongyuan Festival" and "Bon Odori" – A Cultural Perspective on Sino-Japanese Folk Traditional Festivals. CNKI, 2002. 4、Zhang Fangying, Mao Haiying. Inheritance and Dissemination of Zhongyuan Festival Culture. Literature Education, 2022.09.

Terms and expressions Zhongyuan Festival 中元节 Ullambana Festival 盂兰盆节 Burning Paper Money 烧纸钱 Ancestor Worship 祭祖 Ghost Festival 鬼节 ancestral tablets 祖先牌位

Questions:

1、On which day of the lunar calendar is China's Zhongyuan Festival usually celebrated? 2、Which religions are associated with the Zhongyuan Festival? 3、Which traditional Chinese festival did the Zhongyuan Festival originate from? 4、Please name two traditional customs of the Zhongyuan Festival. 5、Please provide evidence of the spread of the Zhongyuan Festival overseas.

中元节

中元节是中国的主要传统节日之一，时间为农历七月十四/十五。该名最初为道教所称，佛教称为“盂兰盆节”，民间俗称鬼节，又称亡人节、七月半 。中元节带有祭祖和感恩的双重功能，孝文化是其精神内核，也是中国传统民俗节日中特殊的存在，是中国人对逝去父母以及亲人表达孝敬、思念的重要节日。

中元节的历史渊源 中元节作为中国传统四大祭祀节日之一，同时具备儒、释、道三家的历史渊源。此名源于道教，其节俗始于古代儒家秋尝祭祀的古老习俗。发展到宋代，形成了一日三节的形态，即在每年农历七月十五，道教祭地官，祈求定人间善恶，民间祭祀祖先、孤魂野鬼。佛教受儒家影响，设盂兰盆会，以超度历代先祖。道教作为中国的本土宗教，又受到宗法制的影响注重孝道，因此中元节祭祖节俗得以扎根民间。

主要传统习俗 1、烧纸钱：烧纸钱是鬼节期间最为隆重的祭祀活动，根据地域的不同，烧纸钱的时间各有不同，有的地区会提前烧纸钱，在七月十四这天烧。但一般来说，七月十五晚上的烧纸钱活动最为隆重。 传说七月十五晚上子时，阎王爷就要把鬼门关上，因此那些孤魂野鬼们就会趁机捣乱，人们为了防山神野“鬼”入屋，家家户户在屋里屋外烧纸钱，点上香和蜡纸将自家房屋围住，小孩晚上不得出门，以防乱中被野鬼抓走。 2、祭祖：俗称墓祭，主要是在坟地烧香、上供、叩拜。近代一般是到亲人的墓地祭拜。古时，这种礼俗很盛。因各地礼俗的不同，祭祖形式也各异，有的到野外瞻拜祖墓，有的到宗祠拜祖，而大多在家中将祖先牌位依次摆在正厅，陈列供品，然后祭拜者按长幼的顺序上香跪拜。祭祖，多半做鱼肉碗菜，盛以高碗，颇有钟鸣鼎食之意。

中元节文化的传承与传播 中元节是中国传统祭祀节日之一，带有祭祖和感恩的双重功能，孝文化是其精神内核。中国邻近国家如日本、新加坡、马来西亚等都受其影响，设立了相似的节日。因种种原因，中元节在国内年轻人中关注度并不高，而传承和传播中国传统节日既是弘扬中华民族优秀传统文化的需要，也是获得海外侨胞对中华文化认同的需要。所以我们在向外传播中国文化的同时，更应该传承好这个祭祖敬孝的传统节日。(张方颖 毛海莹2022.09) 1、国内外传播现状 在国内，中元节不像其他传统节日设有固定的节俗，不同地区的过节方式自古以来就有很大差异。如浙江、福建一带有“施食”这一节俗，这是受佛教盂兰盆会的影响，在这一天祭祀孤魂野鬼。 送羊是河北山西一带的中元习俗，传说中二郎神为修复与外甥的关系，借“杨”姓的谐音，每年中元节都送沉香一对活羊，因此当地人也借此习俗联络血脉亲情。山西的牧羊人家会在这一天署羊祭神以求富庶。山东齐东一带的中元古俗为举办瓜节。河南、四川、广西、广州、上海、湖南、湖北等地也有不同的中元节俗。因此中元节没有固定的活动项目，各地都有独特的中元节节俗，一旦消逝就难以寻回。 作为中国传统节日的中元节曾随着我国的对外交流传播到日本、新罗、新加坡、马来西亚等国家，并在这些国家落地生根，发展出了新的形式。在新加坡，中元节是近现代以来伴随着大批中国移民传播到此的，而历经发展演变，中元节也已创造出适应新加坡当下时代的新内容。比如“七月歌台”是一項“娛人娛鬼”的表演活动。还有很多非华人积极参与中元节活动，并在其中加入社会慈善、关爱弱势群体等公益内容，从而淡化了节日的宗教色彩，增加了年轻一代对中元节的了解与认同。在马来西亚，当地华人会在神庙中举行中元普度的活动，如祭拜普度公、举行歌台表演等。其中最有特色的是具有祈福和除煞意义的普度戏，大多是广府戏和福建戏。(张方颖 毛海莹2022.09)

参考文献 1、傅功振，樊列武. 浅析"中元节"及其现实意义． 2、《寻根》，2008张咏涛. 中国传统鬼节及其文化意蕴．兰州大学，2012 3、胡孟圣. "中元节"、"盆祭り"的文化蕴涵——中日民间传统节日文化透视．《CNKI》，2002 4、张方颖，毛海莹.中元节文化的传承与传播.《文学教育》，2022.09.

Terms and expressions Zhongyuan Festival 中元节 Ullambana Festival 盂兰盆节 Burning Paper Money 烧纸钱 Ancestor Worship 祭祖 Ghost Festival 鬼节 ancestral tablets 祖先牌位

问题 1、中国的中元节一般是农历的什么日子？ 2、中元节与哪些宗教有关联？ 3、中元节最开始源于哪一个中国的传统节日？ 4、请例举两个中元节的传统习俗？ 5、请例举中元节在海外传播的证据。