Suzhou, a water town in the south of the Yangtze River with a long history, is rich in folk customs, among which Qixi Festival, rolling immortals, stone lake moonshine, Lei Zhai Su and exposing books and turning scriptures are particularly unique and charming.
Qixi Qiqiao Festival
Every year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, people in Suzhou celebrate the romantic Qiqiao Festival, also known as Daughter’s Day. Legend has it that on this night, magpies built bridges, allowing the Cowherd and Weaver Girl on both sides of the Milky Way to meet. Every household takes this day as an opportunity to pray to the Weaver Girl for wisdom and dexterity. Specially made “Qiao Guo” has become a must-have for festivals. It is carefully made from flour and sugar, twisted into exquisite knots, and crispy and sweet after frying. It is not only delicious but also a symbol of a better life. In addition, women will also play the game of “floating needle test skill”, throwing small needles into a tea cup filled with mandarin duck water, and predicting their own skill by observing the shape of the needle shadow. If it takes the shape of a cloud dragon flower, it indicates that they are clever and skilled.
Rolling immortals
On the 14th day of the fourth lunar month, people in Suzhou celebrate the day of “crushing immortals” to commemorate the birthday of one of the Eight Immortals, Lu Dongbin. Legend has it that on this day, Lv Dongbin would blend in with the crowd, bless and treat illnesses, thus attracting many believers, especially medical and pharmaceutical professionals, to come to the Temple of Immortals (formerly known as the Fuji Temple) to offer incense and pray for blessings. The scene was lively, and people crowded together, hoping to get a touch of immortal energy, cure diseases or seek good luck. Nowadays, ‘Rolling Immortals’ has evolved into a grand folk temple fair, with a wide variety of small commodities, attracting countless tourists and citizens.
Shihu Moon Crossing
On the eve of the Mid Autumn Festival, which is the 18th day of the eighth lunar month, people in Suzhou have a custom of visiting Shihu Lake to admire the moon, known as “Shihu Moon Crossing”. The scenery of Shihu Lake is beautiful, with the lake light and tower shadows, and even more enchanting under the moonlight. Especially when the moonlight penetrates through the holes of Xingchun Bridge or the iron chain ring holes of the tower above, reflecting in the water, forming a series of moonlight shadows, it is beautiful beyond compare. On this night, boats from inside and outside Suzhou gathered at Shihu Lake, with brilliant lights and a sea of joy intertwined with singing and laughter, becoming one of the most anticipated events of the year.
Lei Zhai Su
On the 24th day of the sixth lunar month, it is said to be the birthday of Lei Zun (Lei Gong). People in Suzhou have the custom of eating “Lei Zhai Su” to show their respect for Lei Zun, pray for disaster and epidemic prevention, and ensure the safety of their families. During this period, many people chose vegetarianism until Lei Zun’s birthday. On the day of meat feast, the famous Suzhou restaurant Songhelou launched Red-Stewed Duck noodles. Because of its delicious taste, it became the symbol of the end of this custom. Therefore, the folk had the saying of “Lei Zhai vegetarian meat feast Red-Stewed Duck noodles”.
Exposing Books and Translating Classics
On the sixth day of the sixth lunar month every year, people in Suzhou still have the tradition of drying books to prevent them from being damaged by insects. On this day, every household moves their books to the courtyard to dry. At the same time, the temple also organizes monks and villagers to jointly flip and dry scriptures, praying for blessings in the afterlife. In addition, people in Suzhou also bathe their cats and dogs on this day to drive away parasites. This custom is vividly called “dog rot bath” in the local dialect. These customs not only reflect the respect and inheritance of knowledge by the people of Suzhou, but also embody their yearning and pursuit for a better life.
