Source: beijingww.com

After the enjoyable Spring Festival and Lantern Festival, the Beijinger will hold a sacrifice-offering ritual for the Sun-god, which is called “Zhonghe Festival”, from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. of the Spring Equinox in February of the traditional Chinese calendar.

In the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, the imperial family held this ritual in Ritan every Spring Equinox. After the Qing Dynasty’s downfall, the Ritan gradually became desolate.

However, the sacrifice-offering ritual for the Sun-gold still continues among the hoi polloi.

The “Sun Cake”, a round cake made from wheat and sugar, serves as the main offering to the Sun-god by former Beijingers. Printed on the Sun Cake is a drawing of a gold chicken crowing with its neck prolonged. The chicken is the legendary Chicken God.

On the Spring Equinox, when the sky is bright, every household holds a sacrifice-offering ritual. In the center of the offering table, Sun Cakes are put in plates on an apple-pie order, in front of which there is a copper-made censor, with a bundle of incense in it. All family members, forming a line in the sequence according to position in the family hierarchy, respectfully worship in bended knees to the direction of east, as a move to express their gratitude to the Sun God.

Source: www.beijingww.com

Translated by Hou Zheng