Talking about Cows in the Year of the Ox (I) —— Reflections on the Temple of the King of Cows

Gan 'an Niuwang Temple is located on the north bank of Huaihe River and at the east end of Wandian villagers' group in Kongzhuang Village, south of Ganping Highway. This temple was built in the early Qing Dynasty. In the past, there was a proverb in the countryside: "Two acres of land, a cow, wife and children hot kang?" For farmers in the era of agricultural civilization, as long as they have land and cattle, they have to eat and drink for a lifetime, which shows the importance of cattle to farmers' lives.

"Niuwang Temple, unusual, Niuwang stood by the Huaihe River, next to Fan Jingshan. Fan Jingshan, where Lao Niuxian lives, ensures the safety of cattle along the Huaihe River. "This song, which is circulated on the banks of the Huaihe River in Gan 'an, is a true portrayal of Niuwang Temple on the banks of the Huaihe River.

Fan Jingshan area on the north bank of Huaihe River has sufficient irrigation and pleasant climate, and farmers live and work in peace and contentment for generations. However, something strange happened. By the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, the development of cattle in Fan Jingshan and Kongzhuang was once slow, and the rare cattle often died for unknown reasons, and the people lived a miserable life.

As the saying goes, "The tiller has no cows and the guest has no roots". Because there were no cows, the grain income dropped sharply and the villagers were displaced. In order to protect the cattle here, a large farmer surnamed Chen in Wandian took the lead in donating money, and Qi Xin cooperated to repair the Niuwang Temple and pray for the cattle here.

Coincidentally, in the years after the completion of the Niuwang Temple, local yellow cattle proliferated rapidly. After the annual fright, farmers from three townships and five miles gathered in this Niuwang Temple to pray and worship, hoping that cattle and horses would flourish and crops would be harvested. I don't know if it's providence or people's piety. In the years after the establishment of Niuwang Temple, the cows fed by farmers here miraculously appeared one calf and two calves. As a result, the reputation of Niuwang Temple spread far and wide, and farmers from Shandian, Changtai Pass, Pingchang Pass, Youhe, Shuangjing and other eight townships came to Niuwang Temple to worship in an endless stream every spring. By the middle of the Qing Dynasty, it was more prosperous, and the Niuwang Temple Fair was also very lively. By the end of Qing Dynasty, due to frequent wars, temple affairs gradually declined. After liberation, Niuwang Temple was demolished and Kongzhuang Primary School was built with bricks and wood. With the impoundment of Chushandian Reservoir in Gan 'an, the site of Niuwangmiao was buried under the water of Chushandian Reservoir forever.

This Niuwang Temple is dedicated to the statue of Niuwangye. Who is Lord Niu? The owner of cattle is the god of cattle. Song Dynasty poet Gao quoted a cloud in Liao Hua Zhou: Niu Shen is Confucius' favorite pupil, Ran Boniu. Because Lambert likes farming since he was a child, he often drives the cattle to plow in the fields. After his death, he was made king of cattle by the Jade Emperor, responsible for the management of cattle breeding and farming. Ran Boniu was originally a scholar. Since he was named the King of Cattle and the God of Cattle, his image has been deified as "bull's head, golden signboard and golden armor".

As a tame livestock, it not only brings wealth to people in civilized farming society, but also brings great convenience to people's production and life. Farming, harrowing, cutting, grinding and ploughing are all inseparable from the participation of cattle. Whether it is primitive totem worship or deity worship, it should be understandable that farmers respect cattle, the best helper of mankind.

Now the Niuwang Temple has disappeared, which seems to be the disrepair and collapse of the temple, but it is actually a kind of loneliness of farming civilization. This is the disappearance of an era and the opening of an era.

Today's Niuwang Temple is built with the rippling Chushandian Reservoir, the rippling dam park and the Jiangnan pastoral complex covering an area of 1,000 mu. The fragrance of the cherry blossom garden and the rose garden floats all over the fields, and the exhibition halls of immigrant culture have mushroomed everywhere. "Let's go to Gan 'an to see the sea" has become the mantra of Xinyang citizens, and the Chushandian Reservoir has also become a punching place for online celebrities. Tourists come and the masses get rich. People in Niuwang Temple no longer have to go to worship Niuwang Temple in order to develop cattle industry.

One generation withdrew from the historical stage, and another generation stepped onto it. After the end of farming civilization, a decisive victory was achieved in tackling poverty, and the horn of rural revitalization sounded again. If we can't keep up with the times, we will be eliminated by the times. Let's remember our mission in Do not forget your initiative mind, pack our bags and start again.