The Zhang family's worship of ancestors originated in the Ming Dynasty and flourished in the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. After the ancestors of the Zhang family migrated from Shandong and settled in Zhang's hometown, the first ancestor Duo gave birth to the first ancestor Zhang Xing, Zhang Xing gave birth to his son Zhang Biao, Zhang Biao gave birth to his son Zhang Shouwen, Zhang Shouwen gave birth to four sons: the eldest son Zhang Gong, the second son Zhang Qi, the third son Zhang Jie, and the fourth son Zhang Pei. The four major sects have flourished to this day. Now the Zhang family, with nearly 100,000 people, are all branches of these four major sects. Before liberation, the four major sects took turns to worship the ancestors, which was a four-year cycle. No matter which sect it was, they attached great importance to it, slaughtering pigs and sheep to prepare banquets. They were transported to the kitchen of the ancestral hall a few days in advance, waiting to entertain the worshippers during the sacrifice. With the changes of the times, the worship of ancestors also experienced ups and downs. From the end of the Republic of China to the nearly half a century before the reform and opening up, the worship activities were interrupted. The worship of ancestors is a major activity of the Zhang family. Most of the people who participated in the worship were prestigious gentry elders in various sects. The day before the worship, the sects that took turns to be in charge of the year would decorate the hall and put gorgeous silk and ribbons on the altar. On the day of the worship, all kinds of offerings, such as five kinds of offerings, candy boxes, rice, soup, food and wine, were placed on the altar. The people who came to worship, dressed neatly, politely, and solemnly obeyed the instructions of the main priest to kneel down and worship, burn incense and paper. The people who came to worship from the four major sects were very particular about etiquette and lined up in an orderly manner. The main priest (a person of high moral character and profound culture) announced the start of the worship. The leaders of the worship (a famous person in each sect) and the worshippers (equal to the four sects) took their positions. At this time, the suona played loudly, firecrackers rang, and fireworks were set off, shaking the sky and the earth. Then the leaders of the worship washed, offered sacrifices, presented tea, toasted, burned incense, and lit paper, and then read the sacrificial text in turn. The worshippers kowtowed three times and bowed nine times, and at the same time, the musicians entered the hall to play music. The Zhang family's ancestral worship reflects the Zhang family's moral values, traditional customs and religious concepts, inherits the knowledge and wisdom of the Zhang ancestors, and places ideals and hopes on them. It also promotes the comprehensive and coordinated development of the local economy, society and culture. Information source: Anhui Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) Information source: Anhui Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)