Ship burning in Jiading
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 There are two important religious events in Jiading Township. Temple goers often come to the temples praying for blessings and making wishes. After the wishes are granted, the believers will hold a ceremonious ritual to show their gratitude to the Gods. Temples hold the ritual irregularly. The interval may vary from one year to ten years. According to the interval, there are five scales of the ritual. In the ritual, the most attractive part is the burning of a beautiful ship. As the ritual is held to thank the gods, the temple will erect lanterns to invite the gods to attend the ritual in the world of mortals from the heaven.
When the ritual is coming to an end, the temple will prepare a beautiful ship served as the gods’ vehicle on their way back to heaven. The ship will be set on fire at the riverbank, and when the ship is burnt out, it represents that the gods has returned to their world. The other event is the parade that circles the town, which is similar to the previous ritual. The only difference is that when holding the parade, there will not be lanterns erecting and boat burning. The two ritual events are held to pray for national prosperity, good weather conditions, health and happiness of the villagers. The rituals serve to rid the villagers of the pressure over productivity, strengthen their beliefs in the gods and spirits, and unite the community. |
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