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Shigandang
''Shigandang'' (; Japanese: ''ishigantō'') is an ornamental stone tablet with writing, which is used to exorcise evil spirits in east Asia. 石敢當 are often associated with Mount Tai, and are often placed on street intersections or three-way junctions, especially in the crossing, which is often considered a spiritually dangerous place (). Erecting Taishan shi-gan-dang nearby the houses, villages, bridges and roads has a long history in China. The phrase “石敢當” first appeared in Han Dynasty. During Tang Dynasty, these three characters have been carved on stones and were used to protect houses from evil things. Until Song Dynasty “Taishan shi-gan-dang” came out. It had been widely popular throughout the country to set up “石敢當” or “泰山石敢當” near villages and houses. What's more, this custom has also been spread to Han cultural circle overseas. No other Chinese folk-beliefs can compare with it considering its wideness. However, shi-gan-dang's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shigandang
''Shigandang'' (; Japanese: ''ishigantō'') is an ornamental stone tablet with writing, which is used to exorcise evil spirits in east Asia. 石敢當 are often associated with Mount Tai, and are often placed on street intersections or three-way junctions, especially in the crossing, which is often considered a spiritually dangerous place (). Erecting Taishan shi-gan-dang nearby the houses, villages, bridges and roads has a long history in China. The phrase “石敢當” first appeared in Han Dynasty. During Tang Dynasty, these three characters have been carved on stones and were used to protect houses from evil things. Until Song Dynasty “Taishan shi-gan-dang” came out. It had been widely popular throughout the country to set up “石敢當” or “泰山石敢當” near villages and houses. What's more, this custom has also been spread to Han cultural circle overseas. No other Chinese folk-beliefs can compare with it considering its wideness. However, shi-gan-dang's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinese Spiritual World Concepts
Chinese spiritual world concepts are cultural practices or methods found in Chinese culture. Some fit in the realms of a particular religion, others do not. In general these concepts were uniquely evolved from the Chinese values of filial piety, tacit acknowledgment of the co-existence of the living and the deceased, and the belief in causality and reincarnation, with or without religious overtones. Practices and beliefs * Ancestral worship () – A practice to honor the deeds and memories of the deceased. This is an extension to the filial piety from the teachings of Confucius and Laozi. Elders, seniors, extended families and particularly parents are to be respected, heeded and looked after. Respects continue after their deaths. In addition to the Qingming and Chongyang festivals, descendants should pay tribute to ancestors during the ''Zhongyuanjie'', more commonly known as the Ghost Festival ( but ghost festival is on Dongzhi "”) In addition to providing a tombstone ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fulu
(), is a term for Taoist incantations and magic symbols, written or painted as talisman or () by Taoist practitioners. These practitioners are also called () or the sect, an informal group made up of priests from different schools of Taoism. These charms and amulets are also not confined strictly to Taoism as they have been incorporated in to certain forms of Chinese Buddhism, and have descendants such as the of Japanese Buddhism and Shinto. Etymology * (), or () are instructions to deities and spirits, symbols for exorcism, and medicinal potion recipes or charms to assist with ailments. * () is a register of the membership of the priests, as well as the skills they are trained in. Other names for in English include Taoist magic writing, magic script characters, magic figures, magic formulas, secret talismanic writing, and talismanic characters. General design Fu symbols tend to have irregular strokes that resemble Traditional Chinese characters, often elon ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shi Gandang
Shi Gandang () is a Chinese god and the protector of the home. He was originally a spirit sent down from Mount Tai by Bixia Yuanjun to protect ordinary people from evil spirits. As part of cultural tradition, there will also often be Taishan Shi Gandang stones set up near buildings and other places, in order to protect those places from evil spirits. These are not to be confused with spirit tablets. Legend A very strong and brave woodcutter named Shi Gandang lived on Mount Tai. He was taught martial arts and magic by an old Taoist. One day a demon came to the rich man Wang Yuanwai's house and put his daughter into a coma. Many Taoists used charms and incantations to exorcize the demon but to no avail. Wang Yuanwai sent out a bulletin to be posted all around the region. Wang offered half his family's wealth as a reward. In addition, if the person who saved his daughter was a young, unmarried man, he could marry the daughter. Shi Gandang saw the notice and decided to give it a try. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinese Ritual Mastery Traditions
Chinese ritual mastery traditions, also referred to as ritual teachings (, sometimes rendered as "Faism"),Yu-chi Tsao, 2012. or Folk Taoism (), or also Red Taoism (mostly in east China and Taiwan), constitute a large group of Chinese orders of ritual officers who operate within the Chinese folk religion but outside the institutions of official Taoism.Pas, 2014. p. 259 The "masters of rites", the ''fashi'' (), are also known in east China as ''hongtou daoshi'' (), meaning "redhead" or "redhat" ''daoshi'' ("masters of the Tao"), contrasting with the ''wutou daoshi'' (), "blackhead" or "blackhat" priests, of Zhengyi Taoism who were historically ordained by the Celestial Master. Zhengyi Taoism and Faism are often grouped together under the category of "''daoshi'' and ''fashi'' ritual traditions" (). Although the two types of priests have the same roles in Chinese society—in that they can marry and they perform rituals for communities' temples or private homes—Zhengyi ''daoshi'' e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Architecture In Japan
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings or other structures. The term comes ; ; . Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural symbols and as works of art. Historical civilizations are often identified with their surviving architectural achievements. The practice, which began in the prehistoric era, has been used as a way of expressing culture for civilizations on all seven continents. For this reason, architecture is considered to be a form of art. Texts on architecture have been written since ancient times. The earliest surviving text on architectural theories is the 1st century AD treatise ''De architectura'' by the Roman architect Vitruvius, according to whom a good building embodies , and (durability, utility, and beauty). Centu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Architecture In China
Chinese architecture (Chinese:中國建築) is the embodiment of an architectural style that has developed over millennia in China and it has influenced architecture throughout Eastern Asia. Since its emergence during the early ancient era, the structural principles of its architecture have remained largely unchanged. The main changes involved diverse decorative details. Starting with the Tang dynasty, Chinese architecture has had a major influence on the architectural styles of Japan, Korea, Mongolia, and Vietnam, and minor influences on the architecture of Southeast and South Asia including the countries of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and the Philippines. Chinese architecture is characterized by bilateral symmetry, use of enclosed open spaces, feng shui (e.g. directional hierarchies), a horizontal emphasis, and an allusion to various cosmological, mythological or in general symbolic elements. Chinese architecture traditionally classifies ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spirit Tablets
A spirit tablet, memorial tablet, or ancestral tablet, is a placard used to designate the seat of a deity or past ancestor as well as to enclose it. The name of the deity or past ancestor is usually inscribed onto the tablet. With origins in traditional Chinese culture, the spirit tablet is a common sight in many Sinosphere countries where any form of ancestor veneration is practiced. Spirit tablets are traditional ritual objects commonly seen in temples, shrines, and household altars throughout Mainland China and Taiwan. Traditional rituals of East Asia General usage A spirit tablet is often used for deities or ancestors (either generally or specifically: e.g. for a specific relative or for one's entire family tree). Shrines are generally found in and around households (for household gods and ancestors), in temples for specific deities, or in ancestral shrines for the clan's founders and specific ancestors. In each place, there are specific locations for individual spirit tab ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinese Folk Religion
Chinese folk religion, also known as Chinese popular religion comprehends a range of traditional religious practices of Han Chinese, including the Chinese diaspora. Vivienne Wee described it as "an empty bowl, which can variously be filled with the contents of institutionalised religions such as Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, the Chinese syncretic religions". This includes the veneration of ''shen'' (spirits) and ancestors, exorcism of demonic forces, and a belief in the rational order of nature, balance in the universe and reality that can be influenced by human beings and their rulers, as well as spirits and gods. Worship is devoted to gods and immortals, who can be deities of places or natural phenomena, of human behaviour, or founders of family lineages. Stories of these gods are collected into the body of Chinese mythology. By the Song dynasty (960-1279), these practices had been blended with Buddhist doctrines and Taoist teachings to form the popular religious sy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bagua
The bagua or pakua (八卦) are a set of eight symbols that originated in China, used in Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality, seen as a range of eight interrelated concepts. Each consists of three lines, each line either "broken" or "unbroken", respectively representing yin or yang. Due to their tripartite structure, they are often referred to as Eight Trigrams in English. The trigrams are related to Taiji philosophy, Taijiquan and the Wuxing, or "five elements". The relationships between the trigrams are represented in two arrangements: the ''Primordial'' (), "Earlier Heaven", or "Fu Xi" bagua () and the ''Manifested'' (), "Later Heaven", or "King Wen" bagua. The trigrams have correspondences in astronomy, astrology, geography, geomancy, anatomy, the family, martial arts, Chinese medicine and elsewhere. The ancient Chinese classic, I Ching (Pinyin: Yi Jing), consists of the 64 pairwise permutations of trigrams, referred to as " hexagrams", a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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