Guanyin Beliefs and Customs

Guangdong
🎧  Listen to Introduction

Guanyin is a widely believed deity in Shunde. Since the Song Dynasty, there have been Ronggui Guanyin Hall and Longjiang Ziyun Pavilion. After that, temples dedicated to Guanyin have sprung up in various parts of Shunde, with many believers. Legend has it that the 26th day of the first lunar month is the day when Guanyin checks the treasury once a year. At midnight, the treasury will be opened to lend money to help the people. Believers can "borrow from the treasury" and "return the treasury" to pray for smooth financial luck. Guanyin belief refers to believers going to the Guanyin Temple to pray devoutly on that day, and holding a series of folk activities such as vegetable gatherings and burning cannons. This belief is mainly popular in Ronggui, Leliu and Longjiang areas of Shunde, and includes borrowing from the treasury, returning the treasury, vegetable gatherings, burning cannons and other links. From the evening of the 25th to the early morning of the 26th day of the first lunar month, believers prepare vegetarian offerings, pray to Guanyin to borrow from the treasury, and take vegetable red envelopes and "longevity gold" (paper ingots); those who borrowed from the treasury last year need to return five or six paper ingots, and at the same time "return the treasury" with offerings and cash, which is "borrowing and returning". When borrowing and returning to the warehouse, lettuce parties and cannon-burning activities are held. Wrapping clam meat, lettuce and leeks with lettuce means prosperity and wealth, and eternal prosperity. Build high bamboo frames and set off long firecrackers to pray for good luck in the coming year. Guanyin belief is an important material for interpreting folk beliefs and folk culture in the Pearl River Delta region, and has precious folk value. On November 22, 2013, Guanyin belief was included in the fifth batch of provincial intangible cultural heritage list of Guangdong Province.

Intangible culture related to the heritage

China tourist attractions related to the heritage