Feng Shan: Difference between revisions

While historically considered limited to the Emperor, commoners have performed the ceremony at times without imperial permission.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Theobald |first=Ulrich |title=fengshan 封禪 (http://www.chinaknowledge.de) |url=http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Terms/fengshan.html |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=www.chinaknowledge.de |language=en}}</ref> The general [[Huo Qubing]] did it alone.<ref name=":2" />

It is considered a prerequisite that the empire is in a period of prosperity with a good emperor and auspicious signs to perform the ritual.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mount Tai - Holy Land of Politic and Worship {{!}} ChinaFetching |url=https://www.chinafetching.com/mount-tai |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=ChinaFetching.com |language=en}}</ref> Many sovereigns refused to perform the ritual citing themselves as unworthy of it.<ref name=":0" />

They are considered parallel to the [[Secular Games]] of the Roman Empire in their political role with both being highly infrequent celebrations.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=ROBINSON |first=REBECCA |date=2018 |title=Spectacular Power in the Early Han and Roman Empires |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26607626 |journal=Journal of World History |volume=29 |issue=3 |pages=343–368 |jstor=26607626 |issn=1045-6007}}</ref> Both had high religious significance and were influential in changing narratives of power.<ref name=":3" />

Worship at Mount Tai began in prehistoric times.<ref name=":4" />

It continued through the [[Zhou dynasty]].<ref name=":4" /> During the [[Warring States Period]], Mount Tai was located on the border between [[Qi (state)|Qi]] and [[Lu (state)|Lu]], and leaders from both nations would carry out sacrifices at the mountain. In 219 BC, [[Qin Shihuang]] carried out what would come to be considered the first Feng and Shan sacrifices in celebration of uniting China. <ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/437/|title=Mount Taishan|last=Centre|first=UNESCO World Heritage|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|language=en|access-date=2019-02-25}}</ref> The second emperor to carry out the sacrifices was [[Emperor Wu of Han]]. [[Emperor Gaozong of Tang]] carried out the Feng and Shan sacrifices more times than any other emperor in Chinese history. [[Asuka period|Japan]], India, the [[Peroz III|Persian court in exile]], [[Goguryeo]], [[Baekje]], [[Silla]], the [[Göktürks|Turks]], [[Kingdom of Khotan|Khotan]], the [[Chenla Kingdom|Khmer]], and the [[Umayyad Caliphate]] all had representatives attending the Feng and Shan sacrifices held by [[Emperor Gaozong of Tang]] in 666 at Mount Tai.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Jrv-6_U5gfwC&pg=PA146#v=onepage&q&f=false Skaff 2012], pp. 146-7.</ref> [[Wu Zetian]] carried out Feng and Shan sacrifices at [[Mount Song]]. The last emperor to carry out Feng and Shan sacrifices was [[Emperor Zhenzong]] of the [[Song dynasty]].<ref>{{cite book|title=中国文化科目认证指南|date=2010|publisher=华语教学出版社. [[Sinolingua]].|isbn=978-7-80200-985-1|page=63}}</ref> Later, emperors in the [[Qing dynasty]] would perform similar rites at Mount Tai. There are only six verifiable accounts of performances in all of Chinese history.<ref>Record of the Feng and Shan Sacrifices,” in Donald Lopez, ed., Religions of China in Practice (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996), 251-60</ref>

The last recorded traditional Feng Shan was done in 1790 by the [[Qianlong Emperor]].<ref name="乾隆">《[http://www.mount-tai.com.cn/1432.shtml 泰山文化纪年] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108002257/http://www.mount-tai.com.cn/1432.shtml |date=2021-01-08 }}》：1、乾隆十三年（1748年）二月二十八日，清高宗奉皇太后（孝圣宪皇后钮祜禄氏，高宗之母）东巡，驻跸泰安府。次日，祭岱岳庙，侍太后登岱顶，祀碧霞元君。2、乾隆十六年（1751年）四月十六日，清高宗与皇太后南巡回銮，幸泰安，祀岱岳庙。3、乾隆二十二年（1757年）四月十一日，清高宗南巡回銮，抵泰安，谒岱岳庙，登岱顶，礼碧霞祠。4、乾隆二十七年（1762年）四月十九日，清高宗南巡回銮，途经泰安，谒岱岳庙，次日登山祀碧霞祠。5、乾隆三十年（1765年）四月，清高宗奉皇太后南巡，回銮谒岱岳庙， 驻跸灵岩寺。6、乾隆三十六年（1771年）二月，清高宗为恭贺皇太后八十寿辰，奉太后东巡，二十四日至泰安府， 驻跸白鹤泉 （此地是年建成行宫）。次日高宗躬谒岱庙。7、乾隆四十一年（1776年）三月，为庆祝大小金川叛乱平定，清高宗“恭奉皇太后巡幸山左，登岱延禧”。三月十四日至泰安府，谒岱庙，驻跸白鹤泉行宫。十五日登岱顶，祀碧霞祠。8、乾隆四十五年（1780年）正月，清高宗南巡，过泰安府。二十六日，驻跸白鹤泉行宫，次日谒遥参亭、岱庙。9、乾隆四十九年（1784年）二月初六，清高宗与皇子顒琰（即后之清仁宗嘉庆皇帝）南巡江河至泰安，躬谒遥参亭，“诣岱庙行礼”。10、乾隆五十五年（1790年）二月，清高宗东巡。三月初四日至泰安府，谒岱庙，驻跸白鹤泉行宫。次日以八旬之龄与皇子顒琰登岱顶，祀碧霞祠。初七日躬诣岱庙。</ref>

In modern times a festival claiming continuity occurs every year.<ref name=":1" /> It is done with a large modern light show which did not exist in the medieval implementation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fengshan Sacrifices Performance - Mt Tai - Review of Mount Tai, Tai'an, China |url=http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g303761-d1392283-r712505790-Mount_Tai-Tai_an_Shandong.html |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=Tripadvisor |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Fengshan Ceremony - Best Show at the Foot of Mount Tai 2023 |url=https://www.chinadiscovery.com/mount-tai-tours/activities.html |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=www.chinadiscovery.com}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

==See alsoIn Japan ==

{{ref-listreflist}}