Where is the traditional worship of Poseidon included in the intangible heritage?

The traditional activity of offering sacrifices to the sea is "Qingdao Tian Heng".

Sacrificing to the sea is a way for coastal residents in China to be grateful for nature, among which "Tianheng Festival of Sacrificing to the Sea" is one of the biggest activities of sacrificing to the sea in the north. This is a traditional sea worship activity in Eval Village, Tian Heng Town, Jimo, Qingdao. It has a history of hundreds of years and was selected into the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2008.

During the annual sacrifice to the sea, Tian Heng Town will hold a folklore seminar in conjunction with Shandong Photographers Association, Qingdao Folklore Photographers Association, Qingdao Folklore Museum, Folklore Society and other folklore research institutions, and invite folklore experts to discuss in depth how to inherit and carry forward the folklore of the sea sacrifice. At the same time, Tian Heng Town holds a photo contest every year, and holds a photo exhibition in Tianhou Palace in Qingdao, which strengthens the spread and exchange of the folk custom of offering sacrifices to the sea.

The significance of offering sacrifices to the sea

Sacrificing to the sea is a traditional festival in the southern coastal areas of China, which is usually held three days before and after March 18 of the Gregorian calendar every year. This festival is very popular in the southern coastal areas of China, and it is a very important festival. People will hold a grand sacrificial ceremony and pray for the sea god to bless fishermen's fishing safety and harvest. In addition, the Sea Festival is also a traditional wedding day in some southern regions. On the Ocean Festival, many couples will choose to hold their wedding at the seaside, which means "vows of eternal love".

Another important significance of this festival is to pray for a bumper harvest in fisheries. Most residents in the southern coastal areas make a living by fishing, and the harvest of fishing is very important to them. Therefore, the sea festival has become a grand festival to pray for the sea god to bless fishermen's fishing safety and harvest. On this day, people will pray that Poseidon will bless their family and friends to go fishing safely, and will also pray that Poseidon will bless the fishing industry of the whole community for a bumper harvest.