Zhengzhou International 丨老庙会，新郑州

 

photo / Ma Jian

 

On July 26, near the intersection of Changjiang Road and South Zijinshan Road, hundreds of vendors came from all over the city to catch a lively "traditional temple fair", a relic of traditional Zhengzhou.

7月26日，长江路与紫荆山南路交叉口附近热闹非凡，数百家商贩从四面八方来到这里，赶一场热闹的“传统庙会”，这是遗存的老郑州记忆。

 

 

Traditional temple fairs are very common and usually held in the slack season with distinct seasonal characteristics. Generally speaking, the ancient temple fairs held in January and February are mainly about lanterns-playing, games,praying and happiness, while the temple fair before the Spring Festival is mainly for buying Spring Festival goods,and the temple fairs held in March, April, September and October mainly sell agricultural tools and exchange agricultural and sideline products.

传统庙会十分常见，一般会在农闲时举行，并有鲜明的季节特点，一般来说，正月、二月举行的古庙会以玩灯、游戏、欢乐、祈福等为主，春节前的庙会以购买置办年货为主，而三四月、九十月举行的古庙会以出售农业工具和交换农副产品为主。

 

 

photo / Ma Jian

 

 

why is this temple fair in Zhengzhou held in summer?

那么，为什么郑州的这个庙会会在夏天呢?

 

 

The date of the temple fair is on the sixth day of the sixth month in the lunar calendar. It is called "Green Seedling Fair". The temple fair originated from South Shilipu village of Zhengzhou.

这个庙会的举办日是农历六月初六，叫“青苗会”，这个庙会起源于此处的南十里铺村。

 

 

In the age of living on the nature, the beginning of the sixth month of the lunar calendar is the peak season for the growth of seedlings, people pay such special attention to the seedlings growth that they regard them as gods,and set up a temple fairs. In the past, there was a temple in South Shilipu Village, where there was the god of seedling, which gave rise to this temple fair.

在靠天吃饭的年代，农历六月初是禾苗的生长旺季，人们特别重视青苗的生长，所以，就把青苗视为神灵，设立庙会敬祭，南十里铺村过去就有座庙，里面供的有青苗神，也就有了这个庙会。

 

 

photo / Ma Jian

 

 

The seedling god is an important belief and worship in the agricultural society, and the main deity for the Chinese people. The god of seedling, as the name suggests, is an ancient god related to agriculture, which protects the crops grow well.

青苗神是农业社会重要的信仰与崇拜，中国民间主要的祭祀神祇。青苗神，顾名思义即为保佑农作物生长顺利的神灵，是与农事相关的古代神灵。

 

 

 

 

photo / Ma Jian

 

 

With the development of the city, Nanshilipu village within the third Ring Road has become a downtown area. The old village has no longer existed and the villagers have become urban residents, but the memory of the Zhengzhou traditions has not disappeared. The temple fair is now a thriving trade fair, which will be held as scheduled on this day every year.

随着城市的发展，位于三环内的南十里铺村已经成了闹市区，老村子已不复存在，村民也成了城市居民，但是老郑州传统的记忆却并没有消失，庙会现在是一场买卖红火的集会，每年的这一天，都会如期举行。 (马健 文/图)

 

编辑：王海萍 乔元元

视觉设计： 周高虹