Mazu is the supreme sea god in ancient China. According to the ancient ceremony, those who can resist disasters, defend disasters and make contributions to the country should be worshipped. Therefore, since the Song Dynasty, emperors have not only praised Mazu frequently, but also issued imperial edicts and sacrifices. In the Yuan Dynasty, three imperial envoys were sent to Meizhou to offer sacrifices. During Zheng He's seven voyages to the West in the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court offered 14 imperial sacrifices to Mazu. After Emperor Kangxi of Qing Dynasty unified Taiwan Province, he sent courtiers to pay homage to Meizhou many times. Emperor Yongzheng of Qing Dynasty resumed the imperial edict and sent three kneels and nine knocks to the whole country. In the fifty-third year, Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty issued an edict that he was originally from Meizhou, and made "always a local private sacrifice" as an official sacrifice in the spring and autumn, and "the sacrifice in the spring and autumn" was officially included in the national memorial service. Since then, the Mazu Temple Festival in Meizhou, the Huangdi Mausoleum Festival in Shaanxi and the Confucius Temple Festival in Qufu, Shandong, also known as the three traditional national festivals in China, have enjoyed a long reputation at home and abroad.
In order to carry forward Chinese Mazu culture and guide Mazu sacrificial rites to the standard, the board of directors of Mazu Temple in Meizhou invited experts in 1994 to further improve the Mazu Sacrifice Ceremony in Meizhou according to the traditional etiquette recorded in ancient books and folk beliefs and customs in Meizhou. Since 1997, the festival music and dance have been modified and processed in order to better combine Mazu culture and artistic appreciation. The music and dance are centered on "Three Sacrifices" and divided into five movements: Welcome to God, First Sacrifice, Asian Sacrifice, Final Sacrifice and Sending God. The Three Sacrifices are called "Hai Ping" and "Peace". Eight Shu dances, composed of thirty-two male and thirty-two female dancers, were the highest-standard literary dances in ancient times.
(Grand Ceremony) Ancestral Temple Festival is held every year on major festivals such as Mazu's birthday (March 23rd of the lunar calendar), Ascension Day (the ninth day of September) and Mazu Cultural Tourism Festival, and it is also held temporarily at the request of the pilgrim team. The sacrificial procession is divided into three scales: small, medium and large, with 66 people, 168 people and 319 people respectively. There are Tongzan, guard of honor, ceremonial guards, silisheng and dancers, etc. The large-scale sacrificial procession adds musicians and singers. Participants include the main sacrifice (1 person), the accompanying sacrifice (several people) and the sacrifice (unlimited number). The ritual sequence is as follows: 1. Drum tee, salute; 2. Guards of honor, guards, musicians and dancers are in place; 3. The priest, the accompanying priest and the priest are in place; 4. Welcome God and burn incense; 5, drink (wash your hands first); 6. Read the message; 7. Carry out the "Three Kneeling and Nine Kneeling" ceremony; 8. Perform the "three offerings" ceremony and play the "three offerings" music (dance); 9. Burn greetings and silks; 1. "three squats and nine squats"; 11. Send God. Finally, the ceremony was finished in melodious and sacred music. The ancestral temple ceremony is a ritual ceremony that has gone beyond the Millennium, and it is the perfect combination of imperial sacrifices and folk sacrifices in past dynasties. The scene is magnificent, the ancient style is rich and heavy, and the atmosphere is solemn. With its unique cultural connotation and value in history, navigation, religion, folklore, art and military science, it was listed in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list in 26. Tin Hau Square and Theatre Tin Hau Square are 12 meters long and 88 meters wide, covering an area of 1, square meters. The viewing platforms (including the turret) on both sides are 129 meters long, each with 13 seats, which can accommodate 1, people. They are places for large-scale festivals and grand activities of ancestral temples. The Grand Theater Building is 28 meters high and covers an area of 1,5 square meters. It is a large-span building with double eaves and a towering dome. At present, most of the large-scale festival activities of the ancestral temple are held in Tianhou Square.