Aobao —— The Landmark of Mongolian Plateau
Also known as ebo and naobao.
Mbth: овоо (Cyrillic Mongolian)
Similarity: Mani heap
Essence: stone pile
Epidemic area: Mongolian plateau
Original function: signs of roads and fields piled with stones.
Now function: offering sacrifices to mountain gods and road gods and praying for a bumper harvest.
Origin:
Aobao, originally a symbol of roads and realms, plays the role of guiding the way, distinguishing the direction and administrative divisions. Daqing Heyuan's Example records: "Anyone who has no mountains and rivers in the nomadic border is recognized by the stone records and called' Ebo'. Since then, it has evolved into a sacred object of the Mongols. Even on an ordinary journey, people who pass through Aobao have to dismount and worship. Qi Yunshi, a poet in the Qing Dynasty, said: "Pray for pious snow protection and wind protection, and give it to the stone side temple to worship the same. The sky is endless, and pedestrians worship the disabled. "
"Aobaohui" means: herdsmen worship Aobao in June and July every year. After the ceremony, they held traditional entertainment activities such as horse racing, archery, wrestling, singing and dancing. Girls and boys took this opportunity to hide in the grass, talk about love and tell each other their feelings.