There are different opinions about the life experience of the Taishan God Dongyue the Great, but it is a fact that the Taishan God Dongyue the Great is highly believed and worshiped. It is said that Emperor Dongyue "during the Shennong Dynasty, he was given the official title of Tianfudu, Mingfujun, and Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty was granted the title of Marshal of Mount Tai" ("The Complete Collection of the Origins of Three Religions"). This shows that at least by the Han Dynasty, Emperor Dongyue had titles. . The late Tang Dynasty was the most prominent period for Emperor Dongyue. During the Tang Dynasty, he was successively titled "King of Tianzhong", "Jun of Tianqi", "King of Tianqi", and the Zhenzong Dynasty of Song Dynasty, who was first titled "Ren Sheng Tian". King of Qi", and was later named "Sage Emperor of Qi Ren". Emperor Dongyue was not only a god in the divine world, but also became an emperor in the human world. He had a wife named Shuming and sons named Sanlang, Shilang and Qilang. When Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty consecrated Mount Tai, he fixed the birthday of Emperor Dongyue as March 28th (for example, the 73rd chapter of "Water Margin" says "March 28th is the birthday of the Holy Emperor Tianqi"). It was decided to celebrate every year, thus customizing the Taishan Temple Fair. The location of the temple fair was also renamed Dongyue Temple (mainly dedicated to Emperor Dongyue) from the Daiyue Temple area in the Tang Dynasty.
Dongyue Temple or Taishan Temple is also called Dai Temple. When was the Dai Temple founded? Some people infer that it was founded during the Qin and Han Dynasties based on the "Inscription on the Tiankuang Hall of the Great Song Dynasty" in the Dai Temple that "Qin established the domain" and "Han also established the palace". Others believe that it was a little later. . Regardless of the issue of "creation", it is well documented that it already reached a considerable scale during the Tang and Song Dynasties. "The Monument of the Taidai Temple Rebuilt by Xuanhe of the Great Song Dynasty" records: "The palace has been extended to the palace" and "the walls are surrounded by walls". The wings are divided into wings, and it looks like the purple pole of the imperial capital. Those who look at it know that it is the house of the gods. "The total number of halls, dormitories, halls, pavilions, doors, pavilions, warehouses, halls, buildings, views, corridors, and verandas is eight hundred and ten." The "Water Margin" with the background of the Song Dynasty also has a wonderful description of Dai Temple: "The temple is located in Daiyue Mountain, where the mountain governs the world. It is the supreme king of the mountain and the leader of all gods. When you lean over the sill at the top of the mountain, you can see the weak water and Penglai; when you climb the pines at the top, you can see dense clouds and mist. The towers are towering, and it is suspected that the golden crow is flying with its wings; the corners of the hall are ridged, and the jade rabbit is suddenly approaching. Carved beams and painted buildings, green tiles and red eaves. The phoenix feather is bright and reflects the yellow gauze, and the turtle's back is embroidered and hung with brocade ribbons. Looking at the holy statue from a distance, you can see the nine eyebrows crowning Shun's eyes and Yao's eyebrows; when you see the divine face up close, you can see the dragon's robe and the soup on his shoulders and Yu's back. Nine days of command, the hibiscus crown covers the crimson silk, and the yellow robe of Binglu is called Lantian belt. The attendant on the left handed down the jade hairpin and beads, and the attendant on the right handed down the purple ribbon and gold medal. The whole hall is majestic, protected by three thousand armored generals; the two corridors are brave, and the king is diligent and diligent by one hundred thousand iron-clad soldiers. The Wuyue Tower is connected to the East Palace, and the Ren'an Hall is connected to the North Tower. At the foot of Haoli Mountain, the judges are divided into seventy-two divisions; in the White Mule Temple, the Earth God presses twenty-four Qi. In charge of the fire pool, the iron-faced Taiwei channeled spirits every month; in charge of life and death, the five generals showed their holiness every year. The royal incense is constantly flowing, and the gods fly on horseback to report elixirs; when the time comes for sacrifices, young and old look at the moon and pray for blessings. Jianing Hall, auspicious clouds and mist; Zhengyang Gate, auspicious air hovering. All the people worshiped Lord Bixia, and all the people came to the Holy Emperor Ren. "The Taishan Temple Fair, whose main content is to celebrate the birthday of Dongyue the Great, is most appropriate to be located in the Dongyue Temple (Dai Temple) area where Emperor Dongyue is worshiped.
The Taishan Temple Fair in the Song Dynasty, at that time There are not many documentary materials left, but we can get a glimpse of it from the relevant descriptions in "Water Margin" which was set in the Song Dynasty: First, the Taishan Temple Fair had a far-reaching influence, and guests from Shaanxi and Shanxi came to attend regardless of the long distance. Secondly, there are many pilgrims. "On the road there are people burning incense." "It turns out that the temple (Dongyue Temple) is very lively. Not counting the 120 merchants and merchants, there are also 1,400 to 500 inns, inviting pilgrims from all over the world. On the Bodhisattva's Holy Day, there is no place for people to rest, and many inns are full." Fourth, competitive activities such as beatings during the temple fair attracted attention. The "big man" in Fengxiang Prefecture, Qingtian in Taiyuan Prefecture Zhu Renyuan and the heroes of Liangshan rushed to the Dongyue Taishan Temple Fair to compete, but they saw that "the people burning incense that day were really overwhelmed, and the huge Dongyue Temple was full at once." . From the roof beams, it’s all for viewing. Facing the Jianing Hall, a mountain shed was built. The shed was covered with gold and silver utensils, brocade and satin. There are five horses tied outside the door, all in saddle and bridle. Zhizhou prohibits people who burn incense."
During the Yuan, Ming, Qing and even the Republic of China, although the influence of Emperor Dongyue was weaker than that of Bixia Yuanjun (Houxiang), Taishan temple fairs still included congratulations. The birthday of Emperor Dongyue is one of the main contents. The third part of the Yuan song "Liu Qianbing Beats the Single Ox Horn" says: "Today is March 28th, which is the birthday of Emperor Dongyue Tianqi Rensheng. ... Duan." It’s a place filled with people, a place full of things, and a place full of fire and noise.
"Volume 7 of Shuyuan Miscellaneous Notes by Lu Rong of the Ming Dynasty quotes Xu Bin's "Reconstruction of Songli Mountain Temple" as saying: "March 28th every year is the birthday of Emperor Dongyue, and people in the world are thousands of miles away. There are incense and silk sacrifices coming to the prison. "Liu Tong of the Ming Dynasty's "Scenery of the Imperial Capital" said that in the Dongyue Temple of the Imperial Capital, on March 28th every year, the Christmas of Emperor Dongyue, "the Qihua Gate is filled with beauty, drums, music and flags are used to congratulate, and the spectators line the road"; "The people of the capital Chen Gule, flags, pavilions and colorful pavilions, the Holy Emperor Shouren visited. As for the Taishan Temple Fair in the Qing Dynasty, Tang Zhongmian of the Qing Dynasty recorded in "Dai Lan·Dai Temple" that "the temple city is huge, and prayers gather every year. There are endless curtains, hundreds of dramas, and people who have been rubbing shoulders and toes for months." . According to old legend, March 28th is the birthday of Emperor Yue, which is particularly popular on this day. "In the 18th and 20th years of the Republic of China, Mr. Fu Zhenlun visited Mount Tai twice. In his book "Revisiting Mount Tai", there is also a description of the Taishan Temple Fair: "It was the middle of March in the lunar calendar, which was the period of the Taishan Temple Fair (quoter's note: This obviously refers to the Taishan Temple Fair that celebrated the birthday of Emperor Dongyue the Great). Good men and women, who came from afar to pay incense to the mountain, looked at each other on the way. The women all have their feet bound, their hair is in long buns, their clothes are loose, no skirts, and their legs can be four inches wide. They are mostly deep red and bright green, and they still have the legacy of ancient costumes from the mainland a few years ago. Holding the incense and clasping hands together, he kept mumbling. As for men going to the mountains, they just follow the monks' advice. There is a person holding a right-angled triangular yellow flag, with the four characters "Go to the Mountain and Offer Incense" written on it, and the words "Laiyi Yiyuzhuang" written on the right side. These small characters are probably from Laizhou in eastern Shandong Province. Among the residents in the mountains, those who sell fragrant horse paper lessons have the most prosperous business. There were a lot of beggars along the way. When anyone asked for something, they would say: "If you give up a thousand things, you will be blessed", "Get better step by step", "Accumulate your virtues and pay for it, it is your own responsibility to do good things". If you don't give it, you will be blessed. Not allowed to move forward. "
In the Ming Dynasty, in addition to celebrating the birthday of Emperor Dongyue, the Taishan Temple Fair also added activities to celebrate the birthday of Bixia Yuanjun. Although Bixiajun entered the Taishan Temple Fair due to coincidence - legend, The birthday of Bixia Yuanjun is on April 18, which is close to the birthday of Emperor Dongyue (March 28). Without changing the time of the Taishan Temple Fair, the celebration of Bixia Yuanjun can be included. The inclusion of birthday activities is more important for social reasons, because the belief of Bixia Yuanjun in the Ming and Qing dynasties was extremely influential, surpassing that of Dongyue the Great. In order to attract more pilgrims and more attendees, It is also necessary to carry Bixia Yuanjun out.
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, celebrations for Bixia Yuanjun's birthday were very popular. "On April 18th, Yuanjun's birthday, the ladies of the capital offered incense. In the early stage, the incense head rang out the golden trumpet, and everyone led the crowd, like a teacher, like a long order, like fathers and brothers. From the 1st to the 18th of the month, the dust, wind, and sweat flow together for forty miles. There are those who are riding, those who are on foot, those who are walking to worship, those who are flying flags and banners, and those who are beating gold drums. Public opinion, noble family, noble family. Riders, knights, and women of small families. Those who walk are looking for human beings to fulfill their wishes and pray for them. Those who worship should have the statue of Lord Yuan on top, carrying a pu ingot, and bow every step of the way, and it will arrive in three days. His clothes are short and silk, and his socks and shoes are bare. If he takes five, ten or twenty steps to worship, he will arrive in one day. The group wandered around, singing, playing and playing music for fun. Those who have flags, banners and drums that sound gold, embroidered flags and red flags each with a hundred and ten, and green and yellow soap embroidered canopies with a hundred and ten each. Those who ride and drum and march with drums and make sounds of gold are called this. There is a small plaque with gold characters on the head, a small flag with command characters on the shoulder, a small palace made of rough wood, and the king of Japan is driving. He wears gold and silver utensils, which is called "yes". A two-foot-long soap flag was built at the back with seven stars, and a three-foot-long embroidered building was built in front with the title of Yuan Jun embroidered on it. The one who boasts is a pavilion, with iron rods several feet long, twisting and turning, decorated with water clouds and smoke shapes on the cliffs of the pavilion, with four or five infants placed in layers, acting like a drama. The method is to wrap the iron ring around the child's waist, hold the child's waist flat, cover the outside with colorful clothes, and let the darkness of the pole pass through the mess of clothes. I can see people sitting in the air at the top of the clouds, or sitting astride like a horse, riding in the air, and the roadside is moving and sighing, but it is really painful to sit there. People use long poles to hold cakes and bait and eat them frequently. The road is far away, the sun is blowing and the wind is blowing, and the child is sleeping soundly. It has a distinctive face, a monk and nun appearance, a beggar appearance, a naughty manner, and a naive rogue appearance. It is the behavior of young people from Lu who are noisy and playful. The bridge is near the shops, and the faces and corners of the people are playing. The children call Ma Hu. The soup and fried rice balls are called Happy Tuan. Straw helmets with crowns and foreheads are called straw hats. Paper clay masks are called ghost faces and ghost noses. A mane with a dyed mane is called a ghost beard. On the pilgrim's return journey, there is an inch of dust on his clothes, a straw hat on his head, a grimace on his face, a nose, a beard, hemp on his sleeves, and a happy ball. Entering Guomen, Xuanxuan is happy. The Taoist crowds of spectators are delighted. At the entrance, the old man drives his wife and daughter around, spinning happily around them. However, if you are drunk, you will make a noise, if you are fighting, you will be beaten, and if you are confused, you will lose your man and woman. The next day, there will be a judge to listen to you." (Ming Dynasty "Scenery of the Imperial Capital"). This is the case in the capital (today's Beijing) thousands of miles away, Bixia Yuanjun's This is especially true in my hometown: "Grandma's Christmas on April 18th (Taishan)... This is to attract people of all ages, and goods from all over the world come to the party, selling clothes, jewelry, agates, pearls, etc. There is none.
"(Chapter 68 of "Awakening of Marriage")
During the Republic of China, there was social unrest and unstable political situation. There were many troops stationed up and down Mount Tai. Cultural relics and historic sites were severely damaged. Dongyue Temple (Dai Temple) became a Relatively speaking, the Taishan Temple Fair, which has a history of more than a thousand years, seems very depressed at this time. When Mr. Fu Zhenlun visited Taishan, he saw "there were many beggars along the way, asking for things from everyone" and "you can't move forward if you don't give them." There is nothing more terrible than this when traveling to the mountains" ("Revisiting Mount Tai"). When General Feng Yuxiang lived in seclusion in Mount Tai, he inspected the Taishan Temple Fair and wrote a social custom poem "The Market of Temple Fairs", which said: "Catching the Temple Fair" , open a market, and all kinds of goods come from all directions. There are foreign goods, local products, and a snack bar. On this side, there are noodle stalls and orange boards. The father kneads the dough, the mother burns the stove, and the son takes care of the business. On that side, it was more lively, with men shouting loudly. Sour plum soup and Dutch water are cheap and delicious. There are people of all ages, both men and women, and it’s a chaotic and crowded place. There are few buyers and many viewers, and there is no money in the pocket. The villagers are suffering, the villagers are poor, and money is being sent from abroad every day. Talk about the reasons, talk about the foundation, and use machines as soon as possible for production. "Obviously, Mr. Feng Yuxiang used his description of the Taishan Temple Fair to express his sorrow for the suffering of the people and advocate social revolution.
After the liberation of Taicheng, the Taishan Temple Fair was once replaced by irregular material exchange meetings. During the "Cultural Revolution", due to For well-known reasons, even the material exchange meeting was canceled, causing many young people to not know what the temple fair was. The "Cultural Revolution" ended, the earth recovered, the mountain gate opened, Tai'an City was included in the development city earlier, and Mount Tai became a hot spot for Chinese and foreign tourism. In order to adapt to the needs of the new situation, the relevant parties in Tai'an restored the venue of this Taishan Temple Fair in 1986 after "removing the dross and taking the essence" of the traditional Taishan Temple Fair. In the area around the old site of Daiyue Temple, the temple fair is held from May 6th to 12th in the Gregorian calendar. In addition to normal religious activities, the content of the temple fair is mainly material transactions, cultural entertainment and tourism. The newly restored first Taishan Temple Fair shows its vitality. Vitality: Hundreds of business groups from inside and outside the province come to the temple fair to discuss business. Countless stalls, large and small, sell a variety of department stores and local specialties. Official or private performing groups come in droves, and there is a bustling flow of people visiting the temple. .
The new Taishan Temple Fair is becoming more and more experienced and prosperous. The Taishan Temple Fair in 1991 lasted for 6 days, with 1.2 million people attending, and 12 performing groups performing at the fair. , more than 40 commercial greenhouses and more than 1,000 business units (individuals) participated in the fair, with a total transaction volume of more than 4 million yuan. The Taishan Temple Fair in 1992 expanded its scale and extended its duration. "With Hongmen Road as the central axis, It starts from Baihe Spring in the south, Guandi Temple in the north, Puzhao Temple in the west, and Queen Mother Pond in the east. It covers an area of ??one square kilometer and lasts for 10 days. However, even so, the venue was still too small and the time was too short. Since the meeting, there have been more than 1,500 sales stalls, 15 large performance groups, more than 200 dining tents, and 200,000 people attending the meeting and mobile hawkers every day. The venue was packed to the rafters." (Zhang Yongheng: "Talk about the Ancient and Modern Taishan Temple Fairs", "China Spark", Issue 7, 1992) The total attendance of this temple fair was more than 2 million, and the transaction volume reached 11 million yuan. This is just like the couplets of the temple fair. What it says: "Wanren Taishan takes advantage of the strong wind of opening up to revitalize tourism and welcome guests, and the eternal temple fair follows the tide of reform to prosper the economy and gather financial resources." ”
The most noteworthy thing is the 1993 Taishan Temple Fair, which was larger in scale, more rigorously organized, and more effective. The temple fair venue is divided into two major areas, the north and the south, that is, Shandong Linxiao Square is a commercial The Greenhouse District (Southern District) is subdivided into six commercial streets: daily necessities, textiles, industrial and agricultural products, shoes and hats, handicrafts, clothing and food; in the North District, the eastern section of Huanshan Road and Hushan Park are divided into scattered stalls for trading. , catering service and cultural entertainment 3 communities, with a total area of ??about 100,000 square meters, more than 400 commercial greenhouses, more than 1,600 stalls, and 19 large-scale performance groups. Although the weather was not good for a while during the temple fair, there were still huge crowds of people. . The author couldn't bear the loneliness, so he went to the temple fair to join in the fun, and happened to encounter many interesting things. On the first day of the temple fair, the then mayor of Tai'an made a fool of himself and pretended to see sales. When visiting a drug stall, go and check carefully to see where it is produced, whether there is a registered trademark and date of manufacture, and whether the drug distribution certificates are complete, and specifically tell the staff: "Be careful with all kinds of goods, especially medicines. Check and never allow fake or shoddy products to be put on the market. This is related to the reputation of the temple fair and our Tai'an.
"Second, a ninety-year-old woman watched a big show. There was a ninety-year-old woman in Nanguan of Taicheng City. She heard about the temple fair and had to rush to the temple fair. The children and grandchildren used wheelchairs to push the old lady to the temple fair, because they were afraid that the old woman would Things were getting better, so I just wanted to see the excitement in the South District. Unexpectedly, the old lady insisted on going to the North District to watch a big show, and she was so interested that she stayed there for more than two hours. Thirdly, the "foreigner" couldn't understand foreign languages. In front of a small stall, two foreign ladies with blond hair and blue eyes took a fancy to the antique porcelain bottles. After playing with them for a long time, they decided to buy two. They kept saying "Tu, Tu" (two in English, here means two). The little boss came first. The first time I dealt with a "foreigner", I didn't know what the "foreigner" was talking about, so he quickly cleaned the porcelain vase and replied: "No soil, no soil, it's clean." "It made a joke.
The Taishan Temple Fair originated in the Tang Dynasty, was customized in the Song Dynasty, flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, declined in the Republic of China, and flourished again today. An important part of the Taishan Temple Fair is to celebrate the gods. During the Christmas celebrations, pilgrims and tourists gather for food, accommodation, shopping, and entertainment. Business services and cultural and entertainment activities also appear, and the temple fair gradually becomes a multi-functional event in view of Mount Tai's popularity. The Taishan Gods, Emperor Dongyue and Bixia Yuan, are so famous that the influence of the Taishan Temple Fair is very great.
(1) The temple fair celebrates Emperor Dongyue and Bixia Yuan. Emperor Dongyue's birthday was taken as the main content, which further promoted Emperor Dongyue and Bixia Yuanjun. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Tianqi Temple and Taishan Temple were built not only in Tai'an but also all over the country to worship Emperor Dongyue or Bixia Yuanjun. Or Taishan Niangniang Temple. Regarding the worship of Emperor Dongyue, a more typical example can be seen on the wall of Tiankuang Hall in Dai Temple. The "Picture" begins with the palace bachelor and the concubines in the inner palace sending Emperor Dongyue off for his trip, followed by Emperor Dongyue's patrol, and finally the local gods respectfully greet Emperor Dongyue; the "Hui Luang Picture" starts with the local gods and officials respectfully sending Dongyue off. It begins with Emperor Dongyue, then returns in a jade chariot, and ends with palace officials and concubines greeting Emperor Dongyue's triumphant return. The mural is 3.30 meters high and 62 meters long. In addition to the landscape and palaces, the mural is full of paintings. There are 691 characters, and the grandness of the scene is unprecedented in Mount Tai and rare in the country. The worship of Bixia Yuanjun reached its peak in the Ming Dynasty, when Concubine Zheng established her beloved son Chang Xun. , The imperial servants of the Qianqing Palace were sent to "pay homage to the Holy Mother of God on the top of Mount Tai in the East Mountains, and to worship all the saints devoutly." The stars will be aligned, the disease will be cured, the life span will be extended, and the family and the country will be harmonious" ("Emperor Jiao Ji Monument Stele" in the 17th year of Wanli). Furthermore, the Empress Dowager Xiaoding, the mother of the Wanli Emperor, was posthumously named "Jiulian" "Bodhisattva", the Empress Dowager Xiaochun, the mother of Emperor Chongzhen, was posthumously named "Zhishang Bodhisattva", and the two empress dowagers were cast into bronze statues and enshrined on both sides of Bixia Yuanjun in Mount Tai. The vast number of oppressed and exploited people The working people also organized peasant uprisings by worshiping Bixia Yuanjun (the "Infernal Mother" believed in by the White Lotus Sect was a transformation of Bixia Yuanjun by folk religionists) to resist the rule of darkness. In addition, Taishan during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Folk incense societies all devoutly worship Bixia Yuanjun. For example, during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, devotees from six counties in Kaifeng Prefecture, Henan Province, went to the mountains to offer incense, and more than 10,000 people signed the petition. Another example is the old Beidou Yongshan Incense Society in Licheng in the Qing Dynasty. It has been passed down from generation to generation for more than a hundred years, and it is actually an ancient meeting. During every spring meeting, faithful men and women gather together to offer incense to the mountains" ("Beidou Yongshan Incense Meeting Monument"). Since Bixia Yuanjun is regarded as a benevolent god and an almighty god who responds to all requests, "Drink me, bless me, and live long." How dare I pray for God's blessings and forget the great benefits" ("Rebuilding the Bixia Yuanjun Temple on Mount Taishan" in the 10th year of Guangxu's reign). Whether they have truly received God's blessing is another matter, but they certainly did not dare to Forget the great favor. Beidou Yongshan Incense Society paid a large sum of money to pay tribute to Bixia Yuanjun: "One tribute sandal tablet and one yellow embroidered altar for the shrine, two sets of yellow embroidered orchids, one yellow satin embroidered yellow Luobao cover, one Dabao cover, and two yellow silk covers. There are eight five-color dragon and phoenix flags, eight yellow flags, four vermilion foreign flags, sixty small ceremony flags, two pairs of large gauze lanterns, two pairs of dragon-shaped copper stoves, two pairs of phoenix stoves, and one bright red silk Horses, ten offerings, ten large vermilion dishes, thirty small orchid cloth mats, and one gold bridge, silver bridge, flag and umbrella each. ”
(2) The government took advantage of the pilgrims attracted by the Taishan Temple Fair and other places to make a lot of ill-gotten wealth. According to the "Dai Zhi" written by Zhang Dai of the Ming Dynasty: "Pilgrims from all over the world come in hundreds every day and gather a lot of money." Open the money gate in the basket and pour it into the Buddhist temple, then money will enter.
There are three Yuanjun seats, Zuo Si's heirs. If he asks for a son and gets a son, he will be rewarded with a small son of silver fan. If the size of the family depends on his family's plan, he will be rewarded with a small son of silver. If you pray for light with your eyesight, you will be rewarded with a silver eye, and then you will advance with a silver eye. A large amount of money is hung in front of the throne. Those who offer incense use small silver ingots or money. They look at the money outside the gate and throw it. It is said that if they hit the mark, they will be blessed, so they use money to enter. Those who make offerings to the Buddha should use Dharma brocade, silk, gold beads, precious stones, knee-length trousers, beaded shoes, embroidery, etc., then use brocade, gold beads, and shoes. Therefore, the stacks in the palace are several feet high. A military camp was set up at the foot of the mountain, with soldiers guarding the place every night, and an official was appointed to sweep the palace every quarter. After spending time with rats and birds, he earned tens of thousands of gold, and the provincial officials of Shandong, from the governor to the state officials, were all involved. "With so much incense and money, the rulers were still not satisfied, and also levied a "head tax" (incense tax) from pilgrims. In the eleventh year of Zhengde of Wuzong in the Ming Dynasty, Li, the eunuch who guarded Tai'an Prefecture, used the excuse of repairing the Taishan Temple to invite Although the collection of incense money from the Bixia Yuanjun Temple in Taishan was opposed by Shi Jianzhu, Ming Wuzong still adopted Li Jian's opinion. Tax supervisors were dispatched everywhere to collect various taxes. According to the "History of the Ming Dynasty: Biography of Li Sancai", at that time, the incense tax paid into the national treasury alone from Mount Tai was more than 20,000 taels. Xie Zhaozhe, a Ming Dynasty man, said in "Dengdai Ji": " Yuan Jun... His hometown is smart enough to travel around thousands of local women, and his income is not less than 60,000 yuan. His cloth, wealth and silk are said to be collected by the officials. Two out of ten, but the top of the membrane is still touching the shoulders. Zhang Dai's estimate was even bigger: "There is a mountain tax,... one cent per person and two cents, one hundred and twenty for a thousand people, twelve thousand for a hundred people, and an annual income of two to three hundred thousand." "("Dai Zhi") At the end of the Ming Dynasty, in order to get rid of the serious economic difficulties caused by political corruption and huge financial expenditures, the government continued to increase the collection of incense taxes until the Ming Dynasty regime finally collapsed.
(3) It promoted the formation of the political center at the foot of Mount Tai and the economic and cultural prosperity of Taicheng. Before the Tang Dynasty, the foot of Mount Tai was only a town-level administrative seat, called Daiyue Town. After 972 AD), the earlier county-level government was located in Bocheng, thirty miles east of Tai'an, called Bocheng County. In the Tang Dynasty, it was changed to Qianfeng County. In the fifth year of Kaibao's reign in the Song Dynasty, it was moved to Daiyueguanxia, ??which is where Taicheng is today. Also. Regarding the historical evolution of Tai'an, there is a paragraph worth noting in "The Monument of Jin Dading's Reconstruction of the Xuansheng Temple": "Taian is a state, and there are Yue Temple, Daizong, Culai, Pan, Wen, Cao, Ji Surrounding it, it is actually the enshrinement of Zhou Gong, the hometown of Confucius, and the place of Zen for the emperor. In the fifth year of Kaibao in the Song Dynasty (AD 972), Qianfeng County was established here. In the first year of Dazhong Xiangfu (AD 1008), it was renamed Fengfu. At the beginning of the Qi Fuchang era (AD 1130), it was renamed Junyue Tai'an. In the sixth year of the founding of this dynasty, In the eighth year of the twelfth year (AD 1182), it was promoted to a state. "The county-level political office was recently moved to the foot of Mount Tai and upgraded. The location of Mount Tai is one of the main reasons. The influence of the Taishan Temple Fair in the Tang and Song Dynasties is another reason that cannot be ignored. Economic development and prosperity, in addition to the "Water Margin" cited above In addition to the relevant texts in "Biography", "Dai Zhi" and "Xingshi Marriage Biography", you can also find many records in this regard. For example, "Dai Zhi" also contains: "A few miles away from (Tai'an) Prefecture, Yajia left. welcome. Control the horses to the gate. In front of the gate are dozens of stables, dozens of brothels, and dozens of apartments for elegant people. Xiang said it was a matter of one state, but he didn't know that it was a matter of one store. When you arrive at the store, there are examples of tax houses, sedan chairs, and mountain taxes. There are three categories of guests: upper, middle and lower. Those who come out of the mountain will see them off, those who go up the mountain will greet them, and those who arrive at the mountain will welcome them. There are thousands of guests, hundreds of rooms, hundreds of banquets of meat and vegetables, hundreds of singing groups, running around to support hundreds of generations, and more than ten surnames in the Ya family. In order to have a place to stay in Tai'an, Shanxi businessmen in the Ming Dynasty also built the "Shanxi Guild Hall" (today's Guandi Temple) at the foot of Mount Tai. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, there was a famous pilgrim shop in Taicheng called "Zhang Dashan Pilgrim" "Inn" (introduced earlier in this book), the Xiangke Inn "looks like a mansion". At its peak, there were nearly a hundred service staff, and there were both high and low-end rooms and meals. It can be said to be a big hotel. In terms of culture and art , many poems, travel notes, operas, novels, etc. since the Song Dynasty are directly or indirectly related to the Taishan Temple Fair, especially the literary masterpieces "Water Margin", "Jin Ping Mei", "Awakening of the Marriage", "Lao Can's Travels" (sequel) ), Ming Dynasty Zhang Dai’s travel notes and essays - "Dai Zhi", Mr. Feng Yuxiang's "Qiu Ba Shi" - "The Market of Temple Fairs", the direct or indirect descriptions of the Taishan Temple Fair are all very exciting.
In "Water Margin", Yan Qing's challenge to Dongyue is a typical competitive activity; Zhang Dai's so-called "cockfighting, Cuju, walking, storytelling, sumo wrestling stage four and five, stage five four, thousands of people like bees and ants, each "Occupying one area, singing gongs and drums, but far apart, each one is not in harmony with each other" ("Dai Zhi"), which is a vivid portrayal of the cultural activities of the Taishan Temple Fair.
(4) Today’s Taishan Temple Fair is an initiative to promote national culture and revitalize Tai’an economy. "Summary of the Taishan Temple Fair in 1993" gives us a brief summary: "First, the Taishan Temple Fair brought greater economic benefits with minimal investment. One industry brought prosperity to all industries. During the temple fair, Taicheng's stations and shopping malls , hotels and restaurants are full of customers and business is booming. The Taishan Temple Fair has brought vitality and vitality to all walks of life and all aspects of Taicheng. Its comprehensive benefits are difficult to explain in words. Second, the temple fair is the most important. The most direct and best information center, more than 2.7 million people attended the conference in the past ten days, including people from different regions, different classes, and various industries in society. Their needs and demands basically reflect the consumption trends of a region. . Manufacturers and business units can capture useful information from here, and based on this information to guide production and operations, they will surely achieve the best economic benefits. Third, through its historical influence and colorful forms──. Such as commodity trading, cultural and entertainment activities, tasting snacks, sightseeing tours, etc., bringing the masses together. People shop, watch, communicate and negotiate here, and gain spiritual and material satisfaction. They are happy and peaceful. This will also have a positive effect on creating a good environment that is more suitable for reform and opening up."