National Intangible Cultural Heritage —— ＂Tie Hua＂ in Queshan, Henan Province

　　Image Network Zhumadian News (Reporter Yang Xiao Special Photography Zhang Aiwu (Wild Cat))In January 2008, the Ministry of Culture of People’s Republic of China (PRC) announced the national intangible cultural heritage list, and Queshan Tiehua was among them. Queshan Tiehua, also known as "Tiehua", is a traditional folk fireworks spread in Queshan County and its surrounding areas in Henan Province. In the 1950s and early 1960s, there were two "Tiehua" parties in the county town, which were interrupted for more than 20 years. In 1988, after improvement, Queshan County once again held a "fireworks party" under Boshan Lake. This long-lost traditional folk fireworks, with its thrilling grandeur, made the audience clap their hands and exclaim. At that time, when the media reported this grand occasion, they called it "the wonderful culture of the Central Plains and the best folk fireworks".

offer sacrifices to ancestors

Waste pig iron is put into a small steelmaking furnace to smelt molten iron.

Inject molten iron into that groove of the willow stick

Hit the willow stick, and the molten iron will turn into iron flower and spray out.

　　There is a magical legend about "Queshan Tiehua": A long time ago, there was a severe drought in southern Henan. In order to relieve the drought, everyone volunteered to donate money to build a temple and cast a big clock in the temple. Each family brought their own ironware to the field, and the blacksmiths melted it into iron juice. At this moment, a group of crows flew in. They croaked in the trees and couldn’t get rid of them. At this moment, an old man came out of the crowd. He picked up two willow trees from the ground, dipped them in some molten iron juice, and hit them up. The iron juice splashed a golden spark more than ten meters high, shining the sky like fireworks, and the crows were frightened and flew away. When everyone was amazed at this sudden wonder, the old man had disappeared. This beautiful and magical legend proves that Queshan Tiehua has a long history. Queshan Tiehua originated in the Northern Song Dynasty, flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and has a history of more than a thousand years. It is true that the earliest activities are full of Taoist colors and industry characteristics. In the Song Dynasty, Taoism was advocated. The old Leshan in Queshan County was once a holy place of Taoism, and it was called the three Taoist mountains in the Central Plains together with Wudang Mountain in Hubei and Tongshan Mountain in Biyang (Wudang Mountain is called Jinding Mountain, Tongshan Mountain is called Tongding Mountain, and Leshan Mountain is called Tieding Mountain). Taoist temples are all over the county, and there is only one Leshan, which is called "Eight Gong Er Views and One Worship to Taiwan". The five craftsmen of gold, silver, copper, iron and tin in the society, together with Taoist priests, worship a founder, the "Tai Shang Lao Jun". Therefore, craftsmen and Taoist priests can be described as brothers and sisters.