The Historical Evolution of Miaofengshan Niangniang Temple Association

In the first year of Emperor Taizong's reign (690), Wu Zetian promulgated the Dayun Sutra to the whole country, ordering all counties to build Dayun Temple. Miao Feng is located in the west of Youzhou, and the government has built Dayun Temple on Miao Feng Mountain. The Great Cloud Sutra declares that Wu Zetian is Maitreya, and Dayun Temple holds a grand birthday celebration on Maitreya's birthday on the fifth day of May every year. Officials, soldiers, monks and laymen from all over Youzhou gathered in Miao Feng. Yangshan has Yin Qi Temple, which is adjacent to the main peak of Miao Feng. Founded in the late Tang Dynasty, Liao, Jin, Yuan and Ming Dynasties became royal incense houses for many times. On the eighth day of April every year, the "Bath Buddha Festival" conference attracts monks and nuns from all over the world. At the beginning of Jin Dynasty, the eminent monks wanted to move around in the name of "Qingzhou Monk" and established the medical and political system of Zen Temple in Yangshan Yin Qi Temple. He hired two brilliant doctors, father and son, as monks to refine medicine in Yangshan, and later became the "king of medicine" among the Han people, thus forming the Yangshan Temple Fair held from the eighth to the 28th of April every year, which gradually died out in the late Qing Dynasty. In the twentieth year of Jin Dading (1 180), Emperor Sejong ordered the expansion of Yangshan Temple and named it Yangshan Yin Qi Temple.

During the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, many Shanxi immigrants moved to Xishan Township, Beijing, bringing the local conditions and customs of Shanxi. On the fifteenth day of the first month, worship the goddess, make a social fire, perform hundreds of plays and zaju, and go on the show; From the end of July to the beginning of August, "mother-in-law will worship the empress, meet the immortal, and compete with the immortal in autumn." In some big villages, fairy temples have been built one after another to worship the fairy Bi Xia Yuan Jun. The village near Miaofeng Mountain has also built the Niangniang Temple in Miaofeng Mountain, which has become the activity center for offering sacrifices to the gods in this village. Miao Feng Niangniang Temple is famous for the fairy tales of Queen Miao Feng, "It's not far to shine" and "It's not far to shine". In the Ming Dynasty, the duration of Chunxiang (Chunshan) in Miao Feng Niangniang Temple was around the 15th day of the first month. At that time, a grand pilgrimage to Niangniang Temple was held in Shanxiang, and a big play was performed in Goujian Village. Relatives and friends visit each other to see the meeting, and the married daughter also takes her children back to her family to "catch up". Chou-heung (Qiushan) lasts from July 25th to August 1 day. In addition to burning incense and greeting the gods, there are also customs such as "offering sacrifices to Ma Gu" and "hanging the ground" to pray for good luck in the New Year. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, more and more pilgrims came to Miao Feng from Beijing to worship the Queen, mostly "borrowing Buddha for a spring outing". At first, I joined Yangshan Temple Wang Yao Club and went to Miao Feng by the way. Later, I mainly went to Niangniang Temple to burn incense and went to Yangshan Temple by the way. Foreign pilgrims generally choose the first day of April to the 18th. According to legend, at this time, the goddess Miaofengshan was taking pictures "far away but not near", and the local villagers did not participate. Since then, Miaofengshan Niangniang Temple has been repaired by Beijing pilgrims and changed to be in charge of Taoist priests.

Emperor Kangxi named Miaofengshan Niangniang Temple "Jinding Miaofengshan Niangniang Temple", which made it superior to the "Five Niangniang Temples" in Beijing. Since then, Miaofengshan Niangniang Temple has become the most popular place in Beijing and surrounding provinces. During the Spring Festival, pilgrims come from other places, while the autumn festival is organized by local villagers and foreign incense associations. An old Beijing allegorical saying, "The Queen of Miaofengshan is far away but not near" reflects another custom in Xishan Township, Beijing, that is, most local villagers join the local Niangniang Temple Club, such as the Niangniang Temple Club in Jiulong Mountain, the Fairy Club in Banqiao Village, the Fairy Club in the former Juntai Village (also known as Zhongfan Club), the Fairy Club in Qingshui Mountain and the Niangniang Temple Club in Baihua Mountain. During the reign of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, Miaofengshan Niangniang Temple was changed to a monk abbot. In the twenty-fifth year of Qianlong (1750), pilgrims donated money to expand Niangniang Temple, and the newly-built Tianxian Temple was renamed as "Inspiration Palace", which made the control of Niangniang Temple rise from "Niangniang enters the palace" to "Niangniang leaves the palace". After Emperor Jiaqing ascended the throne, he was given the name of "Building Huiji Temple" and a plaque was given to Yushu Temple, which made the status of Miaofengshan Niangniang Temple reach the highest level.

After the end of the Qing Dynasty, wars continued, people were miserable, national strength declined, and Miao Feng incense gradually declined. During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression period, Miao Feng became a guerrilla zone and a base area. 1939 and 1945, the Eighth Route Army twice advanced into the drama club to publicize China's anti-Japanese ideas to pilgrims and tourists at Miaofeng Mountain Temple Fair. 1946 A large-scale news photo exhibition was held in Miaofengshan Niangniang Temple to show the heroic achievements of the people's army.