Niu Laoye Shehuo is a folk custom of welcoming spring organized spontaneously by the villagers of Houguanzhai, Yinzhen, Chang'an District. It originated in the Ming Dynasty, flourished in the Qing Dynasty, and has a history of hundreds of years. In the ancient agricultural society, the "Spring Official" was an official sent by the emperor to announce the arrival of spring. In history, the image of the "Spring Official" was riding a cow to the fields to announce the arrival of spring. "Niu Laoye" is actually another name for the "Spring Official". Because there is a "Niu Laoye" in the Houguanzhai Shehuo, it is named "Niu Laoye Shehuo", which is unique in Houguanzhai Village. Houguanzhai Village has a total of seven villages (after 1961, Shangbao Village was divided into an independent village for management convenience, but the customs are still unified with the current Houguanzhai Village): Shangbao Village, Beibao Village, Shizi Village, Southeast Village, Damiao Village, Tudi Village, and Longmen Village. The Niu Laoye Shehuo in Houguanzhai Village has special "village rules". The "village rules" stipulate that there are three types of community fires. Small-scale communities do not have spring officials; medium-sized communities have all the community fires, have spring officials, and travel from north to south; large communities have all the community fires, and they must perform community fires on the 14th and 15th. A meeting will be held on the 16th to discuss and all communities will bring their foundations, and set up the scene on the second day of the second lunar month. In addition, there are unified regulations on the procedures, forms, content and routes of community fires. Shangbao Village is the upper community (i.e. the leading community), and Beibao Village is the second upper community (i.e. the deputy leader community). Shangbao community plays the role of Niu Laoye, Beibao community plays the role of running land boats, the foundation of the Lion Community is the bald monk and Shuai Cui, the foundation of the Southeast Community is the stick, the foundation of the Damiao community is the peddler, the foundation of the Land Community is the horse-walking, and the foundation of the Longmen Community is Lian Xiang. Each community starts to organize community fires on the evening of the fourth day of the first lunar month every year. The fourth to the ninth day is the preparation stage; the ninth to the fifteenth day is the stage of teasing; the sixteenth day and the second day of the second lunar month are the stage of setting up the scene. The basic procedures of Niu Laoye Shehuo: 1. The evenings from the fourth to the eighth day of the first lunar month are for the Shehuo. 2. Select Niu Laoye. 3. Ring the bell to invite "Niu Laoye". 4. Select cows and horses and set up Shehuo. 5. Plant the Shehuo flag. 6. Set up Houguan Mansion. 7. Burn incense and perform Shehuo. 8. Niu Laoye goes out to pass orders. 9. Niu Laoye goes out to patrol. 10. Niu Laoye goes to the hall to watch Shehuo. 11. Send Niu Laoye off. 12. Hold a summary and evaluation meeting. In May 2007, Houguanzhai Yingchun Niu Laoye Shehuo was included in the first batch of intangible cultural heritage list of Shaanxi Province; in June 2008, it was identified as the first batch of intangible cultural heritage of Xi'an. (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)