Quick Answer: What Is Chaozhou Youshen?
In Chaozhou, youshen (游神, yóushén) is a procession in which people carry images of local gods outside their temples. One local name is ying laoye (营老爷, yíng lǎoyé). Communities choose their own dates and may gather several temple images for the occasion.[1][4][5]
- Season: Many processions take place in or around the first lunar month.[1][3]
- Ritual: Families make offerings and gather at the temple.[1]
- Local detail: The name of the village or temple helps identify which god and date are involved.[1][2][4]
Look for a named temple or village when reading a procession notice.
A temple image that normally receives offerings indoors is carried out where neighbors can see it. The route extends the observance from the temple to the streets where the community gathers.[1][4]
Why the Dates Vary by Community
A study of rural Chaozhou describes a season beginning on the fifth day of the first lunar month and continuing for about six weeks. Villages in the study arranged processions for different days. Those schedules follow the Chinese lunar calendar and usually fall on different Gregorian dates each year.[1]
The provincial resource inventory also lists a later date for one village. At Jinsha No. 1 Village in Caitang, it records deity observances on day 13 of the first lunar month and day 20 of the third. The same village can therefore appear more than once in a lunar calendar of observances.[2]
From Temple Offerings to the Street Procession
In the rural study, wooden images from several temples gather at the main village temple. In the temple courtyard, families set out food on tables, light incense and candles, and offer prayers. The same images then become the focus of the procession. The gathering illustrates how households and temples share an observance in Chinese folk religion.[1]
The Qinglong Temple Fair in Chaozhou
Chaozhou’s Qinglong Temple (青龙庙, Qīnglóng Miào) stands by the Han River. The temple association identifies the god Anji Shengwang (安济圣王, Ānjì Shèngwáng) with Wang Kang (王伉, Wáng Kàng). The association describes him as a protector for seafarers and merchants in local belief.[4]
The municipal draft plan describes a fair season from days 13 to 28 of lunar month one. A report on the 2025 fair places its public procession on day 24 of that month. The fair’s arts include Chaozhou gong-and-drum music and the carp dance. The fair spans a period of activity. The dated account identifies the day of a particular procession.[3][5]
FAQs About Chaozhou Youshen
What does ying laoye mean?
Ying laoye is a local name for welcoming and escorting a deity during a procession. Laoye is a respectful form of address for the god.[4][5]
How can I confirm the date of a Chaozhou procession?
Identify the village or temple, then check its announcement for the year in question. Earlier reports can help interpret the lunar date and the name of the observance.[1][2][5]
Источники
[1] Irene Eng and Yi-Min Lin, The Journal of Asian Studies. Religious Festivities in Rural Chaozhou
[2] Guangdong Department of Culture and Tourism. Chaozhou Rural Tourism Resources Inventory
[3] Chaozhou Municipal Government. Chaozhou Cultural Ecology Protection Area Draft Plan
[4] Chaozhou Wang Kang Traditional Culture Research Association. Qinglong Temple
[5] Shenzhen Chaozhou Youth Chamber of Commerce. The 2025 Qinglong Temple Fair Procession