天后宫之行丨A Trip to Tin Hau Temples

天后宫之行

A Trip to Tin Hau Temples

Tin Hau Temples

In the morning: Visit Gegu Town, one of the eight ancient towns in North China----Da Zhi Gu, the birthplace of Tianjin In the afternoon: Walk around Ancient Cultural Street

2018年1月20日， DragonWell团队与天津记忆团队合作，开启了来自美国佛罗里达大学在津留学生的文化深度游——天后宫之行。

On January20^th,2018,the DragonWell team, in collaboration with the Tianjin Memory team, started the cultural tour of Tin Hau Temples with FIU students studying abroad at TUC.

【天津】意为“天子渡口”，自古因漕运而兴起，明永乐二年十一月二十一日(1404年12月23日)正式筑城，是中国古代唯一有确切建城时间记录的城市。

[Tianjin]  meaning 'emperors ferry', has been known for water transport since ancient times. It was officially documented that the city fortification was built on the 21st November of the first year of Emperor Yongle's reign in Ming Dynasty (23^rd December, 1404) , and it was the only city which has the exact construction time recorded in the history of ancient China.

【妈祖文化】

天津妈祖文化源于津沽繁盛的河海漕运，从最初的海神护漕，祈求保佑海上水上航行安全，到后来求子护佑子孙保佑平安，信奉天后的习俗一直经久不衰。

[Mazu culture or Tin Hauculture]

Mazu culture, originated from the Tianjin prosperous water and sea transportation, has been popular for quite a long time. Back then people prayed to Mazu, the sea goddess, for peace and safety of navigation, and later pray for family prosperity and protection of their descendants.

【天后宫之行】

可以说天后宫之行是打开天津记忆的钥匙，带我们走进天津的历史和民俗。

线路：津南葛沽天后宫→大直沽天妃宫遗址博物馆→古文化街天后宫

(很可惜天妃宫遗址博物馆在修缮，此行未能如愿。)

[Tin Hau Temple Tour]

It is safe to say that this tour is like the key to opening the memory of Tianjin, taking us into the history and folklore of Tianjin.

Itinerary: Gegu Tin Hau Temple → Relics Museum of Tin Hau Temple in Da Zhigu → Tin Hau Temple of Ancient Culture Street

(Unfortunately we didn’t have the chance to visit the Relics Museum of Tin Hau Temple, since it was under renovation.)

首站：津南葛沽天后宫

天津市津南区葛沽镇是历史上华北“八大古镇”之一，自明代就是天津地区著名的水旱码头及贸易货物集散地。由于漕运发达，葛沽镇居民多以船业为生。明永乐年间，当地富商与官府出面，在春节至元宵节期间，把海神娘娘（妈祖）塑像放入官轿，用人抬着沿街观灯，此举引得大批船民前来进香祷告，祈求海神娘娘保佑船民出行平安。

First stop: Gegu Tin Hau Temple

Gegu Town in Jin Nan District ,one of the 'eight ancient towns' in North China in history, had been the dock for land and water transport service and goods distribution center since Ming Dynasty, and most of the local residents lived by shipping. During the reign of Emperor Yong Le, local businessmen and government started the tradition of Tin Hau Parade, with people carrying the official sedan-chair of Mazu statue along the streets during the Spring Festival and the Lantern Festival, which attracted a large number of people coming to pray for blessings of peace and safety of navigation.

感谢民俗专家段如何先生和刘学孟先生的精彩讲解

刘学孟先生在介绍葛沽娘娘庙的特点

葛沽娘娘庙是“全供刹”，有12尊娘娘之多。中间就坐的是碧霞元君的三个化身：碧霄、云霄、穹霄。左右陪坐的是眼光娘娘、子孙娘娘，东西两边还有七位站立的娘娘，东边靠近主座的是天明娘娘，依次是泰山娘娘、天妃娘娘、火灵娘娘；西边靠主座的是龟灵娘娘，依次是豆疹娘娘、送岁娘娘。

与专家们合影留念

宝辇会主要活动区域在天津市津南区的葛沽镇，它是葛沽人民在长期渔、盐劳作和漕运影响下，在独特的地域文化孕育下形成的以敬神、娱人为内容，以民间花会为载体，含有历史、民俗、艺术、信仰、商贸等诸多文化内容的传统民间文化活动。

与专家们合影留念

终点站：古文化街天后宫

天后宫建于1326年（元泰定三年），原名天妃宫，俗称娘娘宫，历经多次重修，是天津市区最古老的建筑群，也是中国现存年代最早的妈祖庙之一。天后宫位于天津古城东门外，始建于元代。由于当时海运漕粮，漕船海难不断发生，而天津是海运漕粮的终点，是转入内河装卸漕粮的码头，所以，元泰定三年（1326年），皇帝下令建天后宫（当时叫天妃宫）于天津海河三岔河口码头附近，供人们奉祀海神天后。水工、船夫、官员在出海或漕粮到达时，都向天后祈福求安。

三岔河口：指北运河、南运河、海河交汇之处，因三条河成丁字形布局，故名“三岔河口”。天津建卫时的选址就在三岔河口西南方向。大批漕粮船只由南运河北上，到达天津城外不远处的这个丁字河道，或卸货或倒运小船，沿北运河运往京师。这里码头船只林立，大批富商居住在附近，城隍庙和天后宫也设立在离此不远处，三岔河口也因此成为租界开辟前天津最重要的地方之一。

Final stop: Tin Hau Temple of Ancient Culture Street        

Tin Hau Temple, commonly known as the temple of goddess, has been rebuilt several times. It is one of the oldest architectural complexes, located in the east gate of the ancient city of Tianjin. Because shipwreck occurred continually, in 1326 the emperor ordered the construction of the Tin Hau Temple (back then called Tian Fei Palace) near Hai He River Estuary dock for people to worship the sea goddess. Sailors, boatmen and officials would pray to the goddess for protection in Tin Hau Temple before and after they were out on the sea.

Here we are!

街边一景

天津记忆团队成员傅磊在为大家介绍天后宫的历史建筑

祈福

It's very interesting to know the local culture of Tianjin.