New Book on Tainan's Xuejia Shangbaijiao Published to Pass Down Folk Culture and Heritage
Tainan's Xuejia Shangbaijiao, recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage, is the subject of a newly published book by Xuejia Ciji Temple. The book aims to preserve folk traditions and serve as local educational material.
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(Central News Agency reporter Chang Jung-hsiang, Tainan, 23rd) Tainan's Xuejia Shangbaijiao was recognized as a national important intangible cultural heritage in 2022. Today, Xuejia Ciji Temple published a new book, 'Xuejia Shangbaijiao: Rituals, History, and Heritage', aiming to pass down folk customs through publishing and promote cultural heritage preservation as a local teaching material.
The Xuejia Shangbaijiao holds a one-day festival every year and a three-day grand 'Ge Xiang' (incense-cutting) festival every four years. The ritual ceremonies, martial and civil performance troupes, and self-organized floats reflect the cultural characteristics and core beliefs of the Xuejia region. It was recognized by the Ministry of Culture as a national important intangible cultural heritage in 2022.
With the collaboration of academic cultural historians and local researchers, incorporating a large number of archives, images, and oral data, Xuejia Ciji Temple today published the new book 'Xuejia Shangbaijiao: Rituals, History, and Heritage'. Through this publication, the goal is to know the past, understand the present, connect to the future, and pass down cultural heritage preservation to the next generation.
The temple pointed out that the Xuejia Shangbaijiao demonstrates the core belief of the thirteen villages of Xuejia, supporting regional cultural identity. Participants collectively worship Baosheng Dadi, strengthening their faith and enhancing local cohesion. The performance troupes and water/fire fetching rituals reflect the cultural features of the Xuejia area, becoming an important symbol of local identity.
The temple stated that as times change, the cultural features of Xuejia Shangbaijiao have evolved. The scale of the festivals, palanquins, and various performance troupes has gradually expanded and become more diverse, yet the core symbolic meanings are preserved. This demonstrates respect for and the passing down of traditional culture, and allows people to recognize that the history of the Shangbaijiao festival is a microcosm of Taiwan's folk beliefs and local societal development.
Furthermore, by researching the origin, evolution, and current status of the festival, one can deeply understand the developmental trajectories of Taiwanese folk beliefs across different periods. It also reflects the political, economic, and cultural changes in Taiwanese society, providing valuable historical materials for researching Taiwanese history. (Editor: Lung Po-an) 1150423
The Xuejia Shangbaijiao holds a one-day festival every year and a three-day grand 'Ge Xiang' (incense-cutting) festival every four years. The ritual ceremonies, martial and civil performance troupes, and self-organized floats reflect the cultural characteristics and core beliefs of the Xuejia region. It was recognized by the Ministry of Culture as a national important intangible cultural heritage in 2022.
With the collaboration of academic cultural historians and local researchers, incorporating a large number of archives, images, and oral data, Xuejia Ciji Temple today published the new book 'Xuejia Shangbaijiao: Rituals, History, and Heritage'. Through this publication, the goal is to know the past, understand the present, connect to the future, and pass down cultural heritage preservation to the next generation.
The temple pointed out that the Xuejia Shangbaijiao demonstrates the core belief of the thirteen villages of Xuejia, supporting regional cultural identity. Participants collectively worship Baosheng Dadi, strengthening their faith and enhancing local cohesion. The performance troupes and water/fire fetching rituals reflect the cultural features of the Xuejia area, becoming an important symbol of local identity.
The temple stated that as times change, the cultural features of Xuejia Shangbaijiao have evolved. The scale of the festivals, palanquins, and various performance troupes has gradually expanded and become more diverse, yet the core symbolic meanings are preserved. This demonstrates respect for and the passing down of traditional culture, and allows people to recognize that the history of the Shangbaijiao festival is a microcosm of Taiwan's folk beliefs and local societal development.
Furthermore, by researching the origin, evolution, and current status of the festival, one can deeply understand the developmental trajectories of Taiwanese folk beliefs across different periods. It also reflects the political, economic, and cultural changes in Taiwanese society, providing valuable historical materials for researching Taiwanese history. (Editor: Lung Po-an) 1150423