I saw a group of old people dressed in ancient costumes, led by a white-haired old man, walking devoutly to the fish burial in the village. Worship, bow down, recite eulogy, and be buried. There is also a carp in the fish grave that is devoutly enshrined by the villagers-this is a fish burial custom that has been circulating in Li Yuxi, Puyuan Township, zhouning county, Ningde City, Fujian Province for more than 800 years.
Li Yuxi is located in Puyuan Village, five kilometers west of zhouning county. Because there is a stream more than 500 meters long in the village, the stream is clear and there are groups of carp in it. It is reported that carp were originally raised in the stream to test whether the river water was poisonous. Later, the descendants of fish multiplied all over the stream, and people and fish appreciated each other and became interested in harmony.
The custom of fish burial in Li Yuxi was introduced with Li Yuxi. Here, adults and children will tell you that the carp in the stream is not a fish, but a maid around the old gentleman who came down to become a carp fairy. Therefore, anyone who steals predators will be punished by the gods. Although there is no way to prove whether anyone is punished for this, the invisible binding force behind this myth and legend has become the amulet of Li Yuxi carp.
The story of Zheng's eighth Jin Zu's meritorious service, which has been handed down to this day, warns his people with "risks" and also warns future generations not to catch carp in the carp creek. The story tells that the grandson of Jin Shigong, the eighth ancestor of the Zheng family, was caught stealing fish. Jin Zu Shigong, the eighth Zheng, hanged his grandson in front of the ancestral temple, admitted his punishment, and hosted a banquet for the villagers for three days. Before the banquet, he also asked the villagers to make an oath: without carp in the stream, there would be no people in Puyuan Village.
In this way, the people in Puyuan Village never eat fish again, and the fish in Li Yuxi are never afraid of people again, which has interpreted the wonderful cultural landscape of "the fairy fish sings a fishing song" and "everyone sees a voice fish, and everyone sees a figure fish gathering" for 800 years. But fish also has a "deadline", so it has formed a unique custom of fish burial.
The Fish Tomb is located under two towering ancient Cryptomeria trees in the lower reaches of Li Yu, which is unique in China. Fish Hill is surrounded by rice fields, facing Liyuxi and Zheng Ancestral Hall. It's cobblestone and arched. There are stone tablets, stone cases, incense burners and other sacrificial objects in front of the mound, which entrust the people of Puyuan Village with their sincere respect for fish.
Under the announcement of the MC, the fish burial began. First of all, the last leader put the "longevity" fish on the altar, purified it, served it with wine and offered it for worship; Next, the venerable people in the village read a eulogy: "Why can't the sky last forever, why can't the clouds die, how can people forget their feelings, endure the pain and summon their souls?" After that, the fish was solemnly buried in the cave and burned incense and paper money as a memorial. Its scenery is no less than burying a dead relative.
What's even more amazing is that although tens of thousands of carp have been buried in the fish burial mound, the fish burial mound has never been filled up and there has never been a bad smell around it.
The folk custom of loving and protecting fish passed down from generation to generation in Li Yuxi has made the carp in the stream multiply from generation to generation. Harmony between man and fish has become a true portrayal of real harmony between man and nature, life and ecology (end)