There is a special ceremony in southern Fujian on the Mid-Yuan Festival, which is called "robbing orphans". What do you mean by "robbing orphans"?

Robbing orphans is a temple fair activity. There is a special ceremony in southern Fujian on the Mid-Yuan Festival, which is called "robbing orphans". Sacrifices or chess pieces are placed on a high post, and the post is coated with grease, so that everyone can climb the post together. The first person to win the flag and the object wins. Not only can you get prizes, but you will also get the blessing of ghosts and gods on your behalf. However, this is a very dangerous activity, with casualties from time to time. During the Qing Dynasty, Governor Liu Mingchuan once banned it. Today, this ceremony is still held in the Yulan Victory Meeting held in Jiaotou City in the northeast of Taiwan Province Province, Hengchun in the southwest corner and Chaoshan Community in Hong Kong.

One is to snatch sacrifices from ghosts, and the other is to scare away lingering ghosts. The most famous "orphan robbery" in Taiwan Province Province is the orphan robbery in Yilantou Town. Rob orphans is to build an "orphan shed" tens of meters high first, and then build an "orphan stack" upstairs, with offerings and flags on it. It's not easy to climb the orphan's shed by yourself with butter on the shed post. Accidents often happened in previous years. Therefore, in the Qing Dynasty, Liu Mingchuan once banned the activities of robbing orphans.

199 1, Ilantou resumed the looting of orphans and improved the looting methods. In the past, the looting activity of offering sacrifices to help the poor and dying has become a competitive folk activity at present. If we can get the "downwind flag" on the top of the stack first, we will win the bid. The people believe that those who grab the downwind flag can be sheltered by ghosts and gods.

There are many taboos when building solitary sheds. For example, people who go to the main altar must be vegetarian and fast, and women confined in Dai Xiao are not allowed to get close to them. Women are not allowed to touch the ritual vessels of solitary sheds, so as to avoid accidents when robbing orphans. An orphan robbery was held at midnight on the last day of July. During the competition, the shed posts were covered with butter. The contestants climbed the shoulders of the players in the form of a pyramid, climbed the solitary shed and then climbed the "solitary stack".