A Study Of Xiaoman Fair Folk Culture In Jiyuan,Henan

Jidu temple in Jiyuan is an ancient place for royal sacrificial ceremony. This has the largest scale of all temples related to Sidu, compared to others which still exist.Xiaoman Fair, a temple fair which made Jidu temple its center, is one of the famous temple fairs in Henan region. Xiaoman Fair is a certain representative, for its long history, a large number of participants, and extensive influence. Xiaoman Fair was managed by the official in its early time; and thus, it embodies the combination of royal rituals and folk beliefs. Temple fair culture is a composite culture. The study of Xiaoman Fair Folk Culture can show people's faiths and thinking ways in Jiyuan,enrich basic-level rural culture, and is also helpful to build the culture brand of Jiyuan city and to create economic and cultural benefits.This study is mainly based on the fieldwork in Jiyuan, which is mainly consisted of many interviews of different communities of Xiaoman Fair, such as the participants,religious people, and managers. Therefore, the paper can provide the true thoughts of people in Jiyuan, provide a systematic research and analysis of Xiaoman Fair, provide the factors influencing the transition of this temple fair, and be exploring some measures of sustainable development.This paper is composed of three parts: introduction, text, and conclusion.The first chapter provides an overview of Jiyuan, in which the culture of this city is analyzed from aspects such as natural environment, social circumstance, belief systems and so on.The second chapter describes the contents of Xiaoman Fair in detail, which contains the organization of Xiaoman Fair and the people's doings during Xiaoman Fair such as worshipping for Gods, performing traditional Chinese opera, and commercial activities.The third chapter digs cultural connotation of Xiaoman Fair. The text analyzes the legends and inscriptions related to Jidu temple, acknowledge the public thoughts and values and then points out that Xiaoman Fair may inherit from the November Fair.The lines also analyzes the origin and transition of Ji River worship. Combined with Jiyuan local condition, it points out five social functions of Xiaoman Fair.The fourth chapter stated the modern changes of Xiaoman Fair, and points out current problems of the development of Xiaoman Fair. The study holds that the current development of Xiaoman Fair is still shallow; properly speaking, it has put the common form of temple fair in Jidu temple; that is, nothing is special or distinctive.The government and society should take action to establish professional management department. Under the premise that the construction of Jidu temple must be protected,it is great taking some measures to show the features of regional culture, to build a culture brand and construct a high-quality Xiaoman Fair.