Essay on Xiapu's trip

Xiapu, a county under the jurisdiction of Ningde City, Fujian Province, is located in the northwest bank of Taiwan Province Strait and the northeast of Fujian Province. It is a coastal economic open county and port city. It is the hometown of kelp in China and laver in China. It is also known as the crossroads of Fujian and Zhejiang, the land of plenty and Zou Lu by the sea. When the annual Mazu Water Walking Festival came, I followed Youqiang's photography studio to the seaside city of Xiapu.

First, people who chase the sun

This is a group of photographers who met while traveling in Mazu, Xiapu, Fujian. I call them sun chasers.

People are keen on traveling in groups, and I prefer to travel with a photography team. I think this has at least three advantages: first, the route is more classic; Second, the scenic spots are unique; Third, the time to play is more relaxed. This time, all the photographers came out, and the Eight Immortals crossed the ocean to show their power and prestige. They made a lot of materials. Being able to walk with them and hear their voices, I think my photography level will also advance by leaps and bounds!

After more than eight hours of car bumps along the way, I arrived at jiangbiancun Farm in Bachimen, Fuding, Fujian in the evening. Other photography teams arrived before us, and the four-story roof of the local house was packed. Experts set up tripods, with long guns and short guns, and shot seine from different angles. From a distance, the oval frame is patchwork and extends everywhere; The low mountains in the distance are layered and vaguely.

The sun gradually slipped to the west, and the blue sky was covered with thick clouds. Imagine that in a short time, a rosy glow will rise on the mountains in the west ... I will wait quietly.

Suddenly, the sun disappeared and it slipped into the dense clouds. The clouds turned dark gray, but there was no sunlight. Just heard someone say, "It's over, the sun can't get out today." I saw several experts start putting away tripods, but most of them are still in place.

It's getting dark, and there is still no Xia Hong, so the beautiful sunset scenery can't be photographed. "Alas, the sky is not beautiful!" People came down from the roof with a sigh.

For photographers, Xiapu can be said to be a place where immortals are ubiquitous, so it is also a paradise for photography. Sunrise and sunset, the beach, thick clouds, unpredictable, many photography bases are located there, our hotel is called photography theme hotel.

The next day, we rushed to Zhu Hua Village, Sansha Town to shoot the sunrise. At four o'clock in the morning, the hotel set out and the taxi took us to Zhu Hua Village Mountain.

Although the sky is still dark, the plank road is already crowded with photographers, and the long guns, short guns and tripods have all been posed, just waiting for the bright red sun to rise from Ran Ran in the east.

The sun didn't show up. It hides in the clouds and seems to be avoiding us on purpose. In the faint glow, the shape of the distant mountain is like a silhouette, reflecting a clear outline. I waited anxiously with hope.

Gradually, the sky lit up, and the scope of the glow became wider and wider, but the smiling face of the sun still could not be seen.

"I guess the sun is blocked by the fog at sea," I said a little depressed.

"Yes, the sun has come out at this time." The photographer next to him is connected to the road.

"So, is P solar energy in the photo?" I remember the photography teacher once said that photography is inseparable from post-production.

"No, there must be golden light and shadow on the sea."

"then p sea level, can't you?"

"Ha ha, then get a sun!"

"Ha ha ..."

Just kidding, the golden sun suddenly emerged from the clouds, and a round of red light and shadow was gradually printed on the sea level, sparkling and shining. I saw a boat beside me rowing towards that light.

The sun rises gradually and begins to fade, giving off dazzling light, like a crystal pearl, and the East is already golden. ...

In the evening, we rushed to Huyu 'ao Bridge to photograph the sunset of the fish steak. The next morning, some group members went to Beiqi to shoot the sunrise. ...

Sunrise and sunset are of course optimistic, but after reading so much, it seems that I feel a little tired of aesthetics, but photographers still enjoy this and that. Don't they feel hard? When listening to their communication, there is a word called "light and shadow" that is said the most. Presumably this is a technical term in photography. When is the best time for light and shadow? Sunrise and sunset, of course. So for photographers, in order to make a good film, they are willing to get up early and get greedy for the dark, tirelessly catch up with the sun, without any slack.

Kuafu chased the sun, and finally he abandoned his cane and turned it into a gorgeous peach forest. Photographers hold the SLR tightly in their hands, bringing a beautiful world of light and shadow. I want to praise you, photographer, you are the Kuafu of the new era!

Second, bamboo Dao Jiang Mazu walks in the water.

March 23rd of the lunar calendar is Mazu's birthday every year. This year is the anniversary of Mazu's birthday 1058, and it is also the day when Mazu's grandmother walks in the water. Depart from Xiapu Photography Hotel at 5: 30 am on May 1 1, arrive at the ferry, and take a boat to Zhu.

This season is the peak season for kelp culture, and the sea rafts are covered with kelp strips. I thought this was the legendary dried kelp, so I couldn't wait to take some photos of kelp and put them in my circle of friends. The title was "dried kelp" and the old jeep corrected it. This is called "planting kelp", and what is spread on the beach is called "drying kelp".

So, what happened to Mazu?

Mazu, a belief in the sea god centered on the southeast coast, has many names, such as Notre Dame, Empress of the Emperor, Empress of the Emperor, Meizhou Mother and so on. According to legend, Mazu, formerly known as Molin, was born in Putian, Fujian during the Northern Song Dynasty. She is very talented and has studied medicine. At the age of 28, in order to save people, she was hit on the head by the mast of a ship at sea and fell into the water and died. It is precisely because she is always ready to help others, do good for the world, never marry, and save the sea from being killed that she is admired by fishermen and set up a temple to worship.

The belief in Mazu, which originated in China's Fujian-Vietnam region, evolved from a real person into a fairy and was regarded as the patron saint of navigation. It has experienced 1000 years among the people. As a folk belief, it has never lasted long, spread widely and had a deep influence. The main forms of Mazu sacrifice can be divided into temple fair sacrifice, suburban sacrifice, sea sacrifice, boat sacrifice and family sacrifice. This time, we went to Dao Jiang's "Mazu Walking Water" activity, bamboo, which should be regarded as a kind of sea sacrifice.

"Mazu Walking Water" has become a unique folk custom of Mazu belief in Xiapu for many years. Specifically, it is divided into "running water" and "grabbing water". "Walking on the water" symbolizes Mazu's maritime patrol, which will bless the fishing harvest; "Grab water" means that on Mazu's way back to the palace after patrolling the sea, all villages sent able-bodied men to stop the way to grab the sedan chair, let the sedan chair pass through their own villages and pray for Mazu's peace.

At 7: 30, the sacrifice on the island began. After watching the sacrificial performance in Tianhou Palace, we rushed to the mountain to watch Mazu's sea patrol.

Vast fishing boats, sailing on the sea, constantly changing patterns between rows of neatly planted kelp rows. Photographers in distant mountains, armed with long guns and short guns, recorded the lively scenes of sea patrol.

There are rows of floating bamboos on the beaches of Dao Jiang. At high tide, the floating raft floats, and at low tide, the floating raft falls, giving people the illusion that the whole island has a sense of ups and downs. The ebb and flow of the tide made me witness the wonder of the sea.

The "water grab" activity was carried out at the time of high tide. At two o'clock in the afternoon, we will wait at Zhujiang Road West Road Bridge. It's hard to imagine that this dry-bath stone road under your feet is actually soaked in seawater most of the time. This is the beach. What is a tidal flat? It is a link between land and sea, and it is a shallow beach formed by the sediment mixed by rivers or currents deposited on the seashore or near the coast of flat rivers. At high tide, it sinks into the water, and at low tide, it resurfaces. In Xiapu, the most attractive thing is the beach.

We were exposed to the sun for more than four hours and finally waited for the high tide. When the sea overflows the beach, the activity begins. I saw twenty or thirty strong men in red, carrying two sedan chairs with the statue of Mazu, and rushed into the water under the guidance of gongs and drums. After they ran 100 meters, sedan chair put it down again and dipped it in water for 36 times to pray for peace. The sedan chair ran back and forth three times, and the water grab ended.

At this time, the seawater has not passed the ankle, and it is rising higher and higher. I walked to the shore with everyone, and the audience who couldn't swim quickly evacuated with the help of the boat.

On the way out of the island, we saw a sedan chair with a statue of Mazu stopped by the locals.

Mazu's walking on water is purely a folk ceremony. Although it has unique regional characteristics, it also has extensive mass and pleasant appreciation. It is precisely because of people's belief that Mazu, as a sea god, has spread more and more widely, gradually moving towards Southeast Asia and the whole world, reaching the level that everyone knows. This time, our trip to Xiapu was directed at Mazu Water Festival. Fortunately, I witnessed the whole process of Mazu Songkran Festival.

During the four-day trip to Xiapu, we welcomed the sunrise, sent the sunset, went to the island, strolled along the beach and watched the Bamboo Dao Jiang Mazu Water Walking Festival. Going to Xiapu with the photography team this time is shocking and novel for me. It is not only a visual shock, but also a spiritual agitation.