Draft:Kouhu Qianshuizhuang Festival

Summary

Kouhu Qianshuizhuang Festival is a ritual held in Kouhu Township, Yunlin County, Taiwan. On the eighth day of the sixth lunar month each year, this annual ritual is held at the Xialiaozai Wanshanye, Kanziliao Wanshanye, and Jinhu Wanshanye Temples. This ritual combines the religious ceremonies of remembering ancestors and transcending lonely souls to pull the ancestors who died from floods out of the sea of suffering.

History

In 1845, a sudden heavy rain caused a severe flood, which claimed the lives of thousands of villagers along the coast of Kouhu, Yunlin. After the flood, the victims' descendants built ancestral temples to offer sacrifices and held the Qianshuizhuang ceremony to commemorate their ancestors. This ceremony combines funeral customs and religious rituals.

In folk belief, the ritual act of "pulling" is divided into two types: “Qian blood” and “Qian water.” Qian blood is used to transcend ghosts who died due to dystocia, car accidents, murders, etc. Qian water is used to attract ghosts who died due to drowning to the shore. Both methods involve the transcendence of dead souls, enabling the deceased to reincarnate. Since the ritual is closely associated with the historical memory of the residents in the Kouhu area, it was registered as a nationally important folk cultural asset by the Council for Cultural Affairs on June 18, 2010.

Ritual Activities

The Kouhu Qianshuizhuang Festival is held each year on the 7th and 8th of the sixth lunar month. The sacrificial time is not performed during the seventh month of the lunar calendar when lonely souls are prayed for. Instead, the sacrificial time is based on the date of the flood in Kouhu, i.e., the date when the ancestors died.

At the ceremony site, in addition to Taoist priests and monks placing water lanterns to transcend the souls of the dead, the most unique phenomenon is the shuizhuang placed by each household along the road. During the Qianshuizhuang sacrificial ceremony, local residents or temple authorities commemorate ancestors who died due to floods. They also include deceased relatives or believers in the worship process to perform Qianshuizhuang and hold ritual ceremonies to transcend the souls of the dead.

The ritual process of Kouhu Qianshuizhuang includes:

1. Pasting shuizhuang: In the early days, each household would make shuizhuang themselves and wait until the day of the ceremony to deliver them to the ceremony site. Due to changing times, Taoist priests have started to make shuizhuang at the temples and place them collectively.
2. Leading the souls into place: Taoist priests will invite the statues of Wanshanye Temple and preside over their consecration (giving special spiritual power to the statues). After the drums are played, the ceremony officially begins.
3. Releasing water lanterns: Inviting lonely souls in the water to come and receive purification and ascension.
4. Granting forgiveness: Taoist priests perform the ritual of “doing merit” to request the gods to bless and forgive deceased souls.
5. Placing shuizhuang: The stretched shuizhuangs are placed at Wanshanye Temple in Jinhu and Wanshanye Temple at Xiahu Port.
6. Initiating the ceremony of shuizhuang and Qianshuizhuang: Taoist priests chant sutras to comfort and increase the merits of the deceased.
7. Holding a purification feast: Inviting the deceased to come and enjoy offerings.
8. Pushing down shuizhuang: Pushing down shuizhuang means completing merit.
9. Giving thanks to the altar and burning shuizhuang: This indicates that the entire ceremony has been successfully completed.