Проблемы литератур Дальнего Востока. Часть 1

Секция 2 • Panel 2 Проблемы литератур Дальнего Востока. Т. 1. 2018 92 of penitence and self-mutilation once quite widespread in many areas of Jiangnan. Nowadays one cannot find it during “incense burning” ritual on the Yu Mountain, though the similar practice still appears at the temple festivals in the neighboring Zhejiang province. Thus, HFJ leaves us a precious eyewitness account of how Zhenwu festival in Changshu was carried out more than a hundred years ago. At the same time Wu Shuangre directly expresses his critical attitude towards the custom of “incense burning” on the Yu Mountain. He bases his criticism on the traditional Confucian ideas that one cannot harm own body, because it is disrespectful towards one’s parents. In this view such folk expression of filial piety appears violation of Confucian doctrines. Besides calling pilgrims “stupid people”, which is a widespread appellation of commoners in the literati’s writings of the late imperial period, Wu Shuangre also calls them “incense worms” ( xiang chong 俉㸢 ), which is even harsher expression (HFJ, 24). The record about the festival on the Yu Mountain is followed by “bamboo-branch lyrics,” composed by Wu Shuangre on the occasion of observing it (HFJ, 24–25). In his view, this irrational practice must be abolished. Other folk celebrations, special of Changshu and described in HFJ include competition of dragon boats ( hua longzhou ࡂ 喽ᐎ ) and spring festivals ( chun she ᱕⽮ ) (HFJ, 42–44). Unlike in other places of China, in Changshu the dragon boat racing is not necessarily associated with the Mid-summer festival (Duanwujie) on the 5 th day of the 5 th lunar month. It can be staged during spring festivals in honor of local tutelary deities. During spring and autumn festivals, peasants sponsored drama performances that testified for the widespread nature of local theatre genres, such as Figure 2: Dragon boat racing, the festival of the Li deity in Small Hudian village in vicinity of Changshu, 17. 04. 2013