The Roles of Foshan North Lord Temple in Process of Forming Foshan Town

The Roles of Foshan North Lord Temple in Process of Forming Foshan Town Yifeng WEN School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China wenyifeng1968@sina.com. Received 3 May, 2014; Revised 13 May, 2014; Accepted 15 May, 2014; Published 3 June, 2014 2014 Science and Engineering Publishing Company Abstract: The changes of Foshan ancestral temple not only reflected the changes of Foshan s society in the light of economic rationality, also had independent cultural meanings. Foshan ancestral temple consecrated North Lord, which showed that Foshan as a local geopolitical society revered imperatorial power from the north nation. Respecting North Lord as ancestor that was a collective subconscious balance of social psychology. The important social and cultural significances of Foshan ancestral temple were its function for image-creating and formed a common spiritual home for Foshan s civil society. By the integrate function of Foshan ancestral temple, the external relationship of purely commercial produces exchanges amongst Foshan s civilian thus became inner contact of spirit amongst them. Keywords: Foshan North Lord Temple; Urban Culture; Folk Religion Introduction Foshan located in central place of Guangdong province and nearby Guangzhou at southwest. Foshan occupies an important position in ancient city history in China. Foshan reflects the following two typical significances: one is that the Foshan s mode of industry and commerce development representing the mainstream of traditional urbanization after Song dynasty, and the second is that the development of Foshan always runs under the restriction of traditional social structure, having its special guidance. This guidance for Foshan development was not as many expected to form capitalism, but it was still in the traditional social structure, having its own law of development (Luo Yixing, 1994). Three Times Social Integrations in Foshan During the Ming and Qing dynasties Foshan had three different stages of social integration: The first in ZhengTong years of Ming dynasty, the integration of Foshan s tribes led by clan-authority elders on the geopolitical relations formed a preliminary city, which was an initial result of urbanization. The second time occurred in the late Ming dynasty, led by Foshan s emerging bourgeois, integrate forces of commercial power defeated the clan-based families, making Foshan s power structure transferring into the hands of bourgeois, which was the result of joint action of the official orthodoxy and the urbanization promoted by bourgeois. The third time in the early stage of Qing dynasty, emperor Qianlong years, the integration controlled by the migration people and the whole town merchant beat aboriginal clan, restructuring power structure and interests in Foshan as a result of commercialization. Before every times of integration had a chew period of economic developmental disturbance and social unrest, while after all of those periods appeared circumstances of economic development and prosperity. This shows that economic development is both a cause of the integration and a result of this conformity. This kind of destroying and restoring the balance of power led to a dialectical change mode in social structure of Foshan (Luo Yixing, 1994). Foshan s North Lord worship and its effects The most important materialized symbol of integration of Foshan s society was establishment of Foshan ancestral temple that reflected both the power of economic rationality behind major change of social process and the independent cultural connotation beyond economic rationality. Why Foshan ancestral temple located in the south areas of China worships Emperor Zhenwu (North Lord)? Because North Lord in ancient religious thoughts was regarded as deified Yu-clan leader living in the northern sea region, and 49

Yu was considered as a water god. Foshan areas also named as Pan-Yu in ancient times, according to legendary where was a living place for one branch of Yu-clan offspring, and the name Pan Yu was the result of Yu-clan s migration activities from north to south region in China (Chen Jiujin, 1992). Many North Lord temples in Guangdong were recorded by books, just in the Nanhai County Annals recording over twenty such buildings. Amongst them the famous were Foshan North Lord temple, North Lord Mountain in Lufeng and XuJiang temple in Sanshui, etc. So why did Guangdong have such many North Lord temple? Scholars believe that except strongly advocated by emperors of Ming dynasty, the main reason related to North Lord worship in Guangdong is that the North Lord is a god of water. The effect of the North Lord worship in southeast coastal areas is very similar with common worship to Mazu as a goddess of water and a protector for navigation. Foshan ancestral temple (North Lord temple) built beside a waterway along a shore in history appears to be related to this. In Four Symbols culture in ancient China, Zhenwu (North Lord) is a great god governing the north. From Song dynasties onwards, North Lord was conferred as main gods and given sacrifice by emperors of every dynasty. This fact became an important background of the development of North Lord worship in Foshan (Luo Yixing, 2005). North Lord again was linked as Pan-Yu clan ancestors. The Yue people lived in Foshan as well as in the Pearl River delta were offspring of Pan-Yu clan, so they called the North Lord temple as ancestor shrine or ancestral hall (Wu Qingzhou, 2005). Foshan s North Lord worship plays an important role in social integration. In traditional society, divine sacrifice is closely related to social life. People continue to adjust and regulate the social life in a variety of custom, and establish a relatively stable social structure. They constructed the system of gods and the corresponding ceremony and ritual in order to achieve a purpose of communication between people and the universe. Religion is not a supernatural power contact with personal at random, but the power contact with all members of the community. This power to society is essentially goodwill, and is maintaining social law and moral order (E. A. Ross, 1920). The Yue people revered ghost, amongst them Foshan people at the top with this attitude. Foshan initially was a rural area, and gradually gathered residents developing into a city. In early periods Foshan as a farming settlement, the villagers already built the temple consecrated North Lord. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, with Foshan s urbanization process to adapt a variety of needs of social development, Foshan people rendered North Lord temple as center establishing a set of quite complete system of folk religion. The system was strongly inclusive having dozens of different gods with various layers, temples and sacrifice places located from the center of town, block to clan-based neighborhood. It created a unified belief patterns, and played an important function for promoting social integration, becoming an important symbol of Foshan social togetherness (Luo Yixing, 2005). The development of Foshan North Lord worship had two phases. One is primary stage of Longzhu (Flying Dragon) shrine which was a building for pure folk religion. The second stage of this shrine got involving by government intervention in the folk sacrifice, was called as Lingying (spiritual responding) temple. These two stages had significant difference between them in terms of shaping resident s feelings towards the gods. Longzhu shrine is an aboriginal folk worship, representing a transition from clan-based blood relationship to geopolitical community with its legacy of kinship emotion, while Lingying temple reflected a mature civil society formed in Foshan, and the power of state and official has intervened. From the beginning of North Lord temple was built to JingTai 2nd year (1451) of Ming dynasty, was a phase of Longzhu (flying dragon) shrine. The name of "flying dragon" implies that the temple borrowed meaning from the ancient totem. Both of "Dragon" and "North Lord" are water gods. They got fusion in the folk religion, which refer to their representation of similar ideas. The "dragon" was the target of aboriginal folk worship for it embodied the forces of nature and a value for clan-based society. Whereas Lingying temple much more embodied the designation of Foshan as a local geographical society than that of clan-based kinship and revering the power from the north in terms of its representing state culture. For this reason, the North Lord was regarded as ancestor that had social effects of psychological balance in terms of collective unconscious. Both of the Longzhu shrine and Lingying temple were the products of Foshan s social integration, and through historical "major events" strengthened such role. According to county annals records, in late Yuan dynasty, thieves come from Longtan robbed Foshan. 50

Foshan people prayed to god (North Lord), and then the storm overthrew more than half of the thieves. In legend, people saw the god standing in cloud with wonder appearing. North Nord temple in various legends was constantly sanctification. People s faith is various needs of each individual and collective common wish. North Lord temple as a place for folk sacrifice and ritual activities no doubt had a part of nature of witchcraft and magic. Witchcraft is a subject of social public opinion and under pressure in transformation of social needs (Marcel Mauss, 1904). As a result of witchcraft practice, collective psychological pressure is get relief. The common need established targets for whole group. Magic is belief, not a thing resorted to reason. It is a state of collective soul which was confirmed and verified by its results. "Faith" means that all people adhere to some idea, and then stick to a state of emotion, will and at the same time adhere to some representation of a thought process. As a result, some seemingly counter-examples for magic effects finally will get beneficial interpretation for witchcraft beliefs. Allegedly Longtan s thieves bribed monk who guard the temple, using unclean thing to profane gods, hence they entered the county, destroyed the temple, because of this evil the monk also dead for just a few days after. From ZhengTong 14th year (1449) of Ming dynasty to the late Qing dynasty the temple entered a stage of Lingying (spiritual responding) temple. This stage was characterized by government intervention in temple s folk sacrifice. The major event of fighting against Huangxiaoyang insurgents was a chance for the change of temple s nature. This major event further strengthened the holy position of North Lord temple. The people s attitude to North Lord from affability became into revering and fearing, which also marked the state power intervention adopting explicit form to the Foshan s local society. Government intervention in foshan folk sacrifice marked a beginning of opening up process in Foshan from a rural society to outward world, also inevitably led a structure transformation of Foshan s economy and culture. The major event against Huangxiaoyang invading become strong evidence showing that the North Lord and the Foshan s ancestors had worked together, and further established the North Lord as the patron saint having divine status. The event itself became Foshan s important historic and cultural accumulation. The combination of civil society and nation strength, as well as the fusion of ideology and architecture as materialized elements, prompted a transition of worship nature in the temple. Folk temple has been included in designation as official religion place, becoming a glory of local people. And the big hall in the temple thus also gradually paid a role as local autonomous government, becoming a site making arbitration and civil management for Foshan s society. During these periods, the temple built by all previous dynasties should be constructed again and again by late generation. Each generation expanded the buildings in different extent. The North Lord temple rapidly reached a splendid summit and supreme status. Foshan Ancestral Temple as Prime Element in Foshan Spatial Structure The Foshan ancestral temple is a prime element in Foshan in terms of Aldo Rossi s theory of The Architecture of the City (Aldo Rossi, 1982). The relationship between prime elements and residential areas is responding with the difference between public and private aspects in terms of theories put forward by social scientists, and this distinction forms the characteristic elements of the city. This bipolar relationship is more apparent, the interchangeable relationship between them is closer, and the accumulation of city life is much more prosperity. Otherwise urban life characterize in the lower level. Spatial characteristics and functions of prime elements reflect the real life situation in the city. Prime element is not only as a monument, also having the function as catalyst for speeding up the process of urbanization. That is not just embodied in its measurable and material building, due to it contacts with important major events, so as to make a transformation for building with a "sense of place". The prime element is a main carrier for ritual and ceremony. Ceremony has a collective nature to protect fundamental elements of mythological. The importance of ceremony is not only the key to understand monuments, also a key to understand the thoughts of city establishment and the meaning transference of the city. If the ceremony is last element to keep the myth, and then monuments too, because it is at a crucial moment confirmed the myth, and make art possible (Aldo Rossi, 1982). Foshan ancestral temple as a prime element is the center for ceremonies and rituals. As showed in Fig.1, the temple located in foshan city s center place with the intersection of several main paths. The Jieguan Pavilion port and the Foshan ancestral temple are the most two important spatial node. The former is a transfer station for commercial and trade, from the 51

Jieguan Pavilion port to the Foshan ancestral temple is a business development axis. The temple is located at the confluence node of this axis and Foshan-Chung river. The temple as the starting point leading to the southeast of the city forming a most important route in Foshan, located in a corner stone place in Foshan T shape spatial structure (Zhou Yigang, 2004; Xu Haohao, 2006). Near the temple also focus many markets of Foshan. The paths of Foshan are formed by spontaneous and also organic manner. The ritual role of Foshan s paths with aboriginal character colorfully expressed by the ceremonies of North Lord presentation in clan ancestral halls and North Lord cruise tour with local parade. As a thriving commercial and industrial city, Foshan don't have much special, is peculiar culture that makes the Foshan with a unique identification. The Foshan ancestral temple road was built upon an original southern river branch (Foshan Chung) of Fenjiang River. This river branch was a main traffic artery of Foshan. The location of Temple Park was an ashore place for going into the temple, its geography position being very important in Foshan old city. Temple Park now become part of the temple s architecture complex, being a buffer zone for entering the temple, in itself collecting a lot of cultural relics displaced from other places, becoming an important cultural heritages of Foshan now. Fig.4 and Fig.5), the True Celebration Tower, the Brocade-fragrant Pool (as shown in Fig.6), the Spiritual Responding Memorial Arch (as shown in Fig.7), the Blessing Theater and the Temple Park. FIG.2 LAYOUT OF FOSHAN ANCESTRAL TEMPLE ((REF: FOSHAN CITY MUSEUM) FIG. 3 THE MAIN HALL OF THE TEMPLE FIG.1 FOSHAN MAP OF QING DYNASTY (IN DAOGUANG YEARS) In Hongwu 5th year (1372) of Ming dynasty, clan-based elder reconstructed the temple, in that time the temple was not beyond the average level of common temples, wood carving statues of gods showing the temple s humble. As showed in Fig.2, now temple is a grand architecture complex including the Spiritual Responding Shrine (as shown in Fig.3, FIG.4 THE PROFILE OF THE TEMPLE 52

exteriority of pure material exchanges in civil society and transformed that into an inner spiritual connection amongst people. North Lord gives people a sense of security and life meaning, increasing the depth of public experience and community communication. Due to government s some degree absence in Foshan, the North Lord temple alternatively become city god temple, official hall and local academy. At the top of various sacrificial layers in Foshan s folk religion, it integrated the functions of social management and cultural spirit life in Foshan. FIG.5 THE PRE-HALL OF THE TEMPLE FIG.6 THE BROCADE-FRAGRANT POOL AND GATE FIG.7 SPIRITUAL RESPONDING MEMORIAL ARCH Conclusions The name and social function changes of Foshan ancestral temple directly reflected Foshan people s pursuit in terms of meaning-creation for social life. The cultural significance of this temple lies in: it play a role as social lubricant, build up a common spiritual home by its splendid architecture in production and exchange of religious images. It also averted the REFERENCES Aldo Rossi. The Architecture of the City. UTET Libreria, 1982. Huang Shijun, trans. Beijing: China Architeture & Buiding Press, 2006,. Chen Jiujin. Totem Worship of Chinese Ethnic Groups and Formation of Four Symbols Concepts. Studies of Natural Science History, 1992 (1):.9-12. in Chinese. E. A. Ross. Social Control: A Survey of the Foundations of Order. New York: Macmillan Company, 1920. Luo Yixing. Foshan s Economic Development and Social Change in Ming and Qing Dynasties. Guangzhou: Guangdong People's Publishing House, 1994. Luo Yixing. Foshan Ancestral Temple and Foshan traditional society, In: Foshan city museum, eds. Foshan Ancestral Temple. Beijing: Cultural Relics Publishing House, 2005. Marcel Mauss. A General Theory of Magic. Gueilin: Guangxi Normal University Press, 2007. Wu Qingzhou. "Splendid and Unique", In: Foshan city museum, eds. Foshan Ancestral Temple. Beijing: Cultural Relics Publishing House, 2005. Xu Haohao. The research on the Change of Foshan s City Streets. Guangzhou: South China University of Technology, Master degree diss, 2006. Zhou Yigang. Urban Development and Morphology Study in the Pearl River Delta during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Guangzhou: South China University of Technology, PhD diss, 2004. 53