Xiandan - A determination to continue the belief culture

When the deity palanquin sets out on the pilgrimage, an incense carrier will be carried on a pole, called xiang dan. Since ancient times, incense has symbolized communication between people and god. The xiang dan is a mobile incense alter and represents the guarding of the sacred incense. Puji Temple’s xiang dan is over 100 years old; elegant, exquisite but durable, it was made out of wood by an artisan and is used to this day. Before the pilgrimage sets out, incense fire must be taken from the incense burner in the main hall of the temple and placed in the xiang dan, and taken care of carefully during the journey to ensure the fire does not go out. The xiang dan does not just continue the incense flame, it also symbolizes a determination to continue the belief culture.

Snack stall-Feast with people’s gratitude

Before the 24th arrives, Puji Temple will receive donations of food from believers. A few days before the pilgrimage, volunteers in the temple will stock take the food and consider how to divide labor and the cooking schedule. For three days from morning till night, they make hundreds of barrels of sweet soup and thousands of kilograms of foods such as fried rice noodles or wheat noodles, glutinous rice, thick rice noodles and herbal jelly. The snack stalls don’t just provide food, from donations of ingredients from believers, volunteers cooking them and sharing with believers, with people’s gratitude and spirit of self-help, the peace snacks bring people together in body and mind.

Incense alter – a folk highlight to welcome the god

On the streets and in the alleys, every household places an incense alter outside their front door to welcome the god, holy generals and Shetou from afar. This is a special local scene only seen during the pilgrimage. Round or square tables, fresh flowers, incense and incense burners are basic equipment, wine and water are offered for the god to drink, and sacrifices of the three domestic animals and five fruits and ghost money offered in gratitude. The origin of the custom of placing incense altars goes back to the very beginning of the pilgrimage. Incense altars comes in different styles; in Daxi, dried tofu often appears on incense altars, a distinctive local feature. Don’t dismiss the incense altars. In earlier time housewives would make a big effort to fill the altars with offerings.

Holy palanquin - the most precious cultural treasure of Daxi

Talking of the pilgrimage on the 24th day of the 6th lunar month, Tong Ren Society has to be mentioned. In 1917, the Tong Ren Society formed by gold miners took part in the pilgrimage, and left behind the holy palanquin that is still used today. It was made by famed local craftsman Chen Chao-chi. The exquisite carvings of birds and flowers, other creatures and filial stories leaves people stunned by the excellence of Daxi wood art. Accompanying Lord Guan on the pilgrimage every year, the Tong Ren Society has many rules passed down through the generations, from cleaning the palanquin, tying the ropes, decorating to carrying the palanquin on the road and always being ready for orders. This palanquin has witnessed 100 years of Daxi belief culture and seen the superb local culture and handicrafts.

Incense burner head - the person chosen by the god for the year

Life was hard in earlier times and even though people believed in a god they often didn’t have the means to build a temple. To make up for this, the incense fire that represented the deity would be placed alternately in the homes of believers and they became makeshift temples where people could worship, this being the original of the position of “incense burner head.” The head is usually be chosen by publicly casting divination blocks to ask the god for guidance. They serve for a term of one year and are responsible for various temple affairs, big and small, from providing tea and sacrificial items, cleaning to collecting money donations, convening meetings, distributing materials, posting seals, holding events. Seemingly the work is endless, however, for the heads, it is a source of pride to be able to serve the god. Over time, the work of the incense head was gradually shared by the Puji Temple Committee, showing the cohesive power of belief in Daxi.

Cleaning the temple - an important matter to be handled by the people of Daxi

According to the calendar for the Lord Guan birthday pilgrimage passed down by ancestors, one week before the Lord Guan birthday 18th day of the 6th lunar month, “cleaning the temple” is held; this is the warmup for the full-scale pilgrimage. It’s no exaggeration to say that Daxi people regard the pilgrimage as the second Chinese New Year; they prepare sumptuous feasts, new clothes and carefully give Puji Temple a thorough clean before the pilgrimage. For Daxi people, this is a day when those who can contribute manual labor do so. More than 100 people give Puji Temple a thorough clean to celebrate Lord Guan’s birthday. These people toiling shoulder to shoulder shows just how much importance Daxi people place on Lord Guan.

Follow the procession - walking with the god with prayers and gratitude

Various cultural scenes can be seen when the pilgrimage for Lord Guan’s birthday is held every year. As well as incense altars, cymbal and drum troupes, beverage stalls, incense carriers, holy palanquin, and Shetou, the people who follow the procession are hard to forget. The pilgrims need to set off early, carrying basic possessions and incense as they walk with the god. They are willing to determinedly walk such long distances, sweat pouring off them, to show gratitude for the protection of Lord Guan in the previous year and to also pray for the safety of them and their family in the coming year. In earlier times, women would carry babies and young children with them, when they got older they would carry flags and bang drums and later become Shetou members….participation in the pilgrimage passing from one generation to the next over 100 years.

Wood arts - Daxi’s extraordinary 100-year-old local handicraft

Around 200 years ago, the wealthy family of Lin Ben-yuan built a large mansion, letting wood art take root in Daxi. This building project brought a large number of skilled wood artists to Daxi and their skills were passed on. A piece of wood was cut and then zao hua carving, also known as fine wood carving, done, not only testing the craftsman’s understanding of the wood texture, also testing the delicacy of the knife work. In earlier times, Daxi had a number of businesses specializing in zao hua and they cooperated wood object shops to make products. In the time of the pilgrimage, the Shetou members would visit and have their various objects repaired by the wood craftsmen; they created culture and also preserved it.

Sugar pagodas – the most valuable sacrificial offering

Sugar pagodas have few ingredients but the process of making them is complex; first, thick syrup needs to be boiled and then the hot syrup quickly poured into camphor wood molds and cooled, then carefully taken from the mold. The process is a test of the baker’s patience and skill from beginning to end. After worshipping the god, the sugar pagoda would be sent to the house of the next incense head to guard over the house and bring good fortune, symbolizing successful completion of the ceremony and continuation the next year. In earlier times, white sugar was scarce but the tradition of bakers making sugar pagodas like works of art in Daxi is 300 years old. They are the highlights of the sacrificial offering table and much-anticipated by children and adults. Today, as the skill of sugar pagoda making fades away, it’s even more precious.

Sugar pagodas – the most valuable sacrificial offering

Sugar pagodas have few ingredients but the process of making them is complex; first, thick syrup needs to be boiled and then the hot syrup quickly poured into camphor wood molds and cooled, then carefully taken from the mold. The process is a test of the baker’s patience and skill from beginning to end. After worshipping the god, the sugar pagoda would be sent to the house of the next incense head to guard over the house and bring good fortune, symbolizing successful completion of the ceremony and continuation the next year. In earlier times, white sugar was scarce but the tradition of bakers making sugar pagodas like works of art in Daxi is 300 years old. They are the highlights of the sacrificial offering table and much-anticipated by children and adults. Today, as the skill of sugar pagoda making fades away, it’s even more precious.