因茶而盛 傳承千年

陳新森

每年農(nóng)歷正月十五和十月十六，金華磐安縣玉山古茶場總是人聲鼎沸，迎大旗、大涼傘、疊羅漢、亭閣花燈等各種民間藝術(shù)節(jié)目輪番登場。當(dāng)?shù)夭柁r(nóng)從四面八方趕來，以多姿多彩的民俗活動，喜慶“春社”和“秋社”的到來。其中，最壯觀、最震撼的當(dāng)數(shù)迎大旗，“以竹為竿，下益以木，以綢為旗，方可十丈許，畫以人物龍虎，其大者升之百余人”，這是整個(gè)廟會活動的代表項(xiàng)目。我曾多次觀賞迎大旗的恢宏場景，粗大的旗桿、龐大的旗手隊(duì)伍，以及碩大無朋的旗面，共同匯聚成一幅龍騰虎躍、攝人心魄的壯觀場面。

大旗到底有多大？迎大旗省級非遺傳承人、尚湖鎮(zhèn)忠信莊村村民王仁良告訴我，最大的旗桿高達(dá)33米，旗面長26米、寬22.3米，面積差不多有600平方米那么大。村里還保存著一面清代老旗，是用120張綢面做的，有近300平方米，在那個(gè)特殊年代，其他村的大旗全被毀了，這面大旗得以幸存至今實(shí)屬不易。而今，都是按照這種老旗式樣制作大旗的。

大旗因道而生，因茶而盛。在當(dāng)?shù)貍髡f中，玉山區(qū)域茶農(nóng)迎大旗主要是為了紀(jì)念晉代許遜。這位祖籍河南、出生于江西的道士，因傳播道教文化游歷至玉山，見到當(dāng)?shù)赜性S多野生茶樹，且茶葉品質(zhì)上乘，便教會當(dāng)?shù)剞r(nóng)民種茶、制茶，研制出“婺州東白”，得到各方人士青睞，茶農(nóng)因此獲益，清貧生活得以改善。到了宋代，得到朝廷支持的許遜被宋徽宗封為“神功妙濟(jì)真君”，成為南方重要的信仰支派。玉山茶葉發(fā)展很快，“婺州東白”暢銷各地，并形成了官辦茶場。磐安人感念許遜功德，在茶山之麓修建了茶場廟，為其塑造金身，奉為“茶神”，至今茶場廟中仍供奉著這位“真君大帝”。每年“春社”“秋社”，茶農(nóng)從各村趕來祭拜，逐漸形成了“趕茶場”這一民俗文化活動。

許遜帶領(lǐng)玉山鄉(xiāng)民種茶制茶的傳說雖已久遠(yuǎn)，但那座茶場廟依然香火興旺，那面龍虎大旗年年會在這兒的天空飄揚(yáng)。這一大山腹地的古老風(fēng)俗，藏著傳承千年的習(xí)俗信仰和鄉(xiāng)土精神。

當(dāng)我走進(jìn)這座有茶文化“活化石”之稱的玉山古茶場，仿佛穿越時(shí)光隧道，古色古香的建筑，巡檢司、稱頭碑、走馬樓、戲臺遺址等舊址，以及青石板路面上被獨(dú)輪車碾出的深深凹槽，無不表明這里曾經(jīng)商賈云集、熱鬧非凡。這座因茶而建的古代茶葉交易市場，見證了玉山茶產(chǎn)業(yè)的變遷與茶貿(mào)易的發(fā)展歷程。

玉山區(qū)域海拔在600～800米之間，茂密的森林，豐沛的水系，孕育了這里的天然優(yōu)質(zhì)茶。早在唐代，產(chǎn)自玉山的“婺州東白”聲名遠(yuǎn)播，成為“貢品”，并寫入陸羽《茶經(jīng)》。在漫長歷史中，茶葉一直是當(dāng)?shù)貍鹘y(tǒng)特色產(chǎn)業(yè)和富民支柱產(chǎn)業(yè)。在裊裊升騰的茶香中，淳樸的鄉(xiāng)民飲茶思源，用浩大的“迎大旗”趕赴一場茶文化的盛宴。

秋日的早晨，露珠還掛在小草葉尖，暖陽從東面緩緩升起，古茶場外的廣場早已人頭攢動。各支隊(duì)伍早已做好豎旗準(zhǔn)備：每根旗桿底部對著挖好的二三十厘米左右的淺坑放平，將幾段竹木旗桿用鐵箍箍牢，再把旗面套在竹旗桿上扎縛牢固，頂上接上飾有流蘇飄帶的旗頭，然后，分配好60根用于撐起旗桿的攏聳竹連接在旗桿的同一處，每根由1～2人掌握，再用5根粗繩系在竹、木旗桿連接處，3根細(xì)繩系在旗桿上端同一處，所有的攏聳竹與粗細(xì)繩（又稱旗索）都是支撐與平衡大旗不可或缺的重要道具。

隨著三聲“龍炮”響過，來自尚湖鎮(zhèn)嶺干村的“母旗（又稱娘旗）”率先啟動，平日里旗會的首領(lǐng)此時(shí)成了現(xiàn)場指揮官，統(tǒng)領(lǐng)和調(diào)度著這場短暫而又驚險(xiǎn)的競技活動。旗手們訓(xùn)練有素，動作嫻熟，七八人先把旗桿底部按入淺坑中，隨后手拉旗索，腳踩旗桿底部的橫檔，使之成為豎旗時(shí)的重要支點(diǎn)，另外七八人則沿旗根方向拉緊旗索，其余負(fù)責(zé)撐桿的旗手各自把住自己的攏聳竹和旗索，整個(gè)隊(duì)伍人員多達(dá)百余人。在一陣緊促的鑼鼓聲中，攏聳竹快速將旗桿托起，待大旗基本豎正，旗手持?jǐn)n聳竹、旗索迅速散開，以旗桿為中心均勻分散到四周，并將攏聳竹、旗索呈巨傘狀撐住大旗，以確保大旗不會傾斜，此時(shí)原先攏在一起的旗面被放開，秋風(fēng)微拂，繪有龍虎圖案的大旗隨即在空中飄舞，鑼鼓聲、歡呼聲、吶喊聲便回蕩在廣場上空。

“母旗”的背后，有一個(gè)故事在當(dāng)?shù)乜诳谙鄠鳌Ｕf的是乾隆皇帝巡游江南至玉山境內(nèi)，遭遇土匪追殺，恰逢茶場廟會，迎旗民眾即以大旗掩護(hù)，使其藏身在嶺干村大旗旁，安然脫險(xiǎn)。追兵過后，乾隆帝見旗手威武英勇、仁德仗義，便將嶺干大旗封為“旗王”。此后，玉山各村迎大旗時(shí)都要先迎嶺干“母旗”，才能豎其他村的大旗。

眼見“母旗”豎起，數(shù)十面大旗緊接而起，迎風(fēng)招展，獵獵飄舞，煞是華麗壯觀。大旗競技，一比規(guī)模、圖案、色彩，看哪個(gè)村的大旗最高、最大，圖案色彩最美觀；大旗都按傳統(tǒng)描龍繪虎，以祈風(fēng)調(diào)雨順，而小旗則繪仙人像、歷史人物等，祈求五谷豐登、福壽綿延。二比豎迎技巧，若豎迎中出現(xiàn)差錯或折斷旗桿，必須換上重豎?！坝笃臁弊畲蟮募夹g(shù)難度在“豎”，旗桿下粗上細(xì)，加上高度有30多米，每個(gè)部位的拉力和推力都需要保持均衡，稍有不慎便會竿斷旗倒，百余名旗手須凝神聚心、合力合拍、步驟協(xié)調(diào)方能成功。而“迎”也不是件簡單的事，所謂“迎”就是抬起大旗在廣場上移動。大旗豎正后，指揮者站在旗桿底端的橫檔上，一手抱住旗桿，眼睛向上觀測旗頭傾斜的方向，另一手指揮16名旗手分兩組抬起橫檔下的兩根“旗扛”，大旗與指揮者被懸空抬起，緩緩繞場“迎”旗；為保持旗桿垂直，旗手們必須聽從指揮，人人全神貫注，準(zhǔn)確判斷時(shí)機(jī)，時(shí)刻調(diào)整用力，容不得半點(diǎn)閃失。大旗繞場一圈后，回到原地，原樣豎回。

凝望著重五六百斤、有十幾層樓高的大旗在空中飄揚(yáng)，這種極富視覺沖擊力的畫面，令我思接千載、心緒翻涌。一個(gè)巡游傳道至鄉(xiāng)間的道士，因?yàn)閭魇诓杓?、扶助眾生而千百年被民眾朝拜紀(jì)念，甚至以“迎龍虎大旗，慶茶葉豐收”的民俗盛會，將引領(lǐng)人心、鼓動人心、凝聚人心的旗幟文化演繹到了極致，和許許多多民俗奇觀一樣，它獨(dú)特的魅力從歷史深處走來、向著未來走去。它昭示了一種已經(jīng)深深根植于這片土地的感恩情懷，體現(xiàn)出一種勇猛精進(jìn)、眾志成城的龍虎精神，呼喚著一種氣吞山河、凌空飛舞的信念與志向。

清代名士周顯岱的《玉山竹枝詞》這樣描述“秋社”迎大旗的盛況：“十月中旬報(bào)賽忙，茶場卜得看場狂。裁羅百幅為旗幟，高揭旗桿十丈強(qiáng)?！睆R會期間，玉山周邊十里八鄉(xiāng)的群眾紛紛“趕”到茶場廟，看民俗表演，逛集市攤點(diǎn)，當(dāng)?shù)夭柁r(nóng)以茶待客，場面喜樂祥和。這“趕茶場”趕的是集體的追念、豐收的邀約，還有美好的愿景。

藍(lán)天白云下，玉山古茶場的一磚一瓦、一柱一石，向游人無聲地?cái)⒄f著悠遠(yuǎn)的茶史。這座國內(nèi)唯一的古代茶葉交易市場，有著太多不為人知的滄桑經(jīng)歷。而與古茶場相伴相生的“趕茶場”民俗活動，卻以迎大旗的精彩展演，將古茶場的故事一代代流傳下來。

迎大旗這一極富挑戰(zhàn)性、藝術(shù)性與觀賞性的民俗活動，始于東晉，盛于南宋，至明清進(jìn)入鼎盛時(shí)期，至今仍每年上演。2007年，迎大旗被列入浙江省非遺名錄；2008年，被列入第二批國家級非遺名錄。千年以來，古茶場茶香四溢，迎大旗激情不滅，年年歲歲從未間斷，歲歲年年薪火相傳，這就是民間的智慧、民俗的魅力、民藝的力量。

Waving the Giant Flags for a Millennium

By ?Chen Xinsen

Every year on the fifteenth of the first lunar month and the sixteenth of the tenth lunar month， Yushan Ancient Tea Farm in Panan county， Jinhua city is teeming with people， and various folk-art programs such as waving giant flags， touring giant pavilion-like umbrellas， stacked human tower， and lantern performce come on stage in turn. Local tea farmers come from all directions to celebrate the arrival of the Spring Sacrifice and Autumn Sacrifice with colorful folk activities. Among them， the most spectacular and stunning is Waving Giant Flags， an intangible cultural heritage protected at the provincial level in Zhejiang.

“The pole is made of bamboo， with wood added for the lower part， and silk is used for the flag ten yards in length and width. On the flag are drawn figures and animals， hundred in number on larger flags.”This is the representative event of the whole temple fair. The thick flagpole， the huge team of flag-bearers， and the gigantic flags all converged into a breathtaking scene.

How big is the flag？ Wang Renliang， the inheritor of Waving Giant Flags and a villager in Zhongxinzhuang village， Shanghu township， said that the largest flagpole is 33 meters high， and the flag is 26 meters long and 22.3 meters wide， with an area of about 600 square meters. There is still an old flag dated to the Qing dynasty （1616-1911） preserved in the village， made of 120 sheets of silk， covering an area of nearly 300 square meters. Now all the big flags are made according to the old style of this rare surviving flag.

The performance of waving giant flags was born because of Taoism and turned prosperous because of tea. According to local legends， the ceremony was mainly derived from local tea growers folk practice to commemorate Taoist Master Xu Xun （239-374）， who was born in neighboring Jiangxi province， traveled to Yushan and saw many wild tea trees of good quality， so that he taught local farmers to grow and bake tea， and developed “Wuzhou Dongbai”， which was favored by all parties. Tea farmers benefited from him， and made a better living thereafter. Xu Xun was conferred by Emperor Huizong of the Song （who reigned 1101-1125） as the “True God of Divine Merit and Medicine”and thus formed an important religious sect in South China.

Yushan tea developed rapidly， sold well all over the country， and a government-run tea farm was formed. To show gratitude to Xu， the people of Panan built the Chachang （literally “tea yard”） Temple at the foot of the Cha （or tea） Mountain. They fashioned a gold-covered statue and worshipped him as “God of Tea”， whose statue， to this day， is still enshrined in the temple. Every year in the Spring Sacrifice and Autumn Sacrifice， tea farmers come from various villages to pay respect， gradually forming a folk cultural activity of “Gathering at the Chachang”. Although the legend of Xu Xun is ages away， the temple is still flourishing， and the large flags flutter here every year. Among the ancient customs in the mountains are hidden beliefs and kindred spirit inherited over a thousand years.

The Yushan area is 600-800 meters above sea level. The dense forest and abundant water breed high-quality tea here. As early as the Tang dynasty （618-907）， Wuzhou Dongbai produced in Yushan spread far and wide， and was written into the Tea Classic of Lu Yu （733-804）. Tea has always been a pillar industry for enriching the people.

As Dragon Cannons sound thrice， the “Mother Flag” from Linggan village， Shanghu township is the first to start up， and the leader of the Flag Association becomes the onsite commander， leading and dispatching this short but thrilling competitive event. The hundred flag-bearers are well-trained and skilled. In a rushing sound of gongs and drums， they quickly lift the flagpole. When the flag is basically erected， the flag-bearers spread out quickly. The flag bamboo and ropes in the shape of a giant umbrella keep the flag from tilting， and the flag painted with dragon and tiger patterns flutters in the air amid the sound of gongs and drums， cheers， and shouts echoing over the square.

Behind the “mother flag”， there is a story passed down by local oral traditions. It is said that Emperor Qianlong （1711-1799） once escaped safely from chasing bandits under the cover of a big flag here. After that， every village in Yushan must first greet this “mother flag” of Linggan. Seeing that the “mother flag” is erected， dozens of flags are raised one after the other， fluttering in the wind， which is truly magnificent. Giant flags compete in terms of their sizes， patterns and colors to see which village has the tallest， the largest and the most beautiful flag.

These giant flags are traditionally decorated with drawings of dragons and tigers to pray for good weather， while the smaller ones are painted with immortals and historical figures to pray for abundant crops and longevity. The flag-bearers also compete in their skills of waving the flags. If there is an error or the flagpole is broken， it must be replaced. The major technical difficulty lies in their waving. The flagpole is thinner at the top more than 30 meters high， so they need to balance the pulling force and thrust of each part. More than 100 flag-bearers concentrate， work together， and coordinate their steps. And it is not a simple matter to move on the square with the flags. The commander stands on the rung at the bottom of the flagpole， holds it with one hand， and observes the direction of the tilt of the flag head with his eyes upward. His other hand directs 16 flag-bearers in two groups to lift the flag and himself in the air， and they slowly circle the field. In order to keep the flagpole vertical， the flag-bearers must obey the command， accurately judge the timing， adjust their force at all times， and tolerate no mistakes. After the big flag circles the field， it returns to its original place and position.

The picture of a flag with a weight of five or six hundred catties and a height of a dozen stories fluttering in the air made a great visual impact on spectators. The folk festival leads， inspires and unites people's hearts. Chinese flag culture It expresses a feeling of gratitude deeply rooted in this land， and embodies a spirit of bravery and diligence， calling for a belief and ambition.

Waving Giant Flags， a very challenging， artistic and ornamental folk activity， began around the around year 400， flourished during the Southern Song dynasty （1127-1279） when Hangzhou was the capital， reached its peak in the 14th century， and is still performed every year. In 2007， it was inscribed in the list of intangible cultural heritage of Zhejiang province， and in 2008， it was included in the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage list.