因茶而盛 传承千年

陈新森

每年农历正月十五和十月十六，金华磐安县玉山古茶场总是人声鼎沸，迎大旗、大凉伞、叠罗汉、亭阁花灯等各种民间艺术节目轮番登场。当地茶农从四面八方赶来，以多姿多彩的民俗活动，喜庆“春社”和“秋社”的到来。其中，最壮观、最震撼的当数迎大旗，“以竹为竿，下益以木，以绸为旗，方可十丈许，画以人物龙虎，其大者升之百余人”，这是整个庙会活动的代表项目。我曾多次观赏迎大旗的恢宏场景，粗大的旗杆、庞大的旗手队伍，以及硕大无朋的旗面，共同汇聚成一幅龙腾虎跃、摄人心魄的壮观场面。

大旗到底有多大？迎大旗省级非遗传承人、尚湖镇忠信庄村村民王仁良告诉我，最大的旗杆高达33米，旗面长26米、宽22.3米，面积差不多有600平方米那么大。村里還保存着一面清代老旗，是用120张绸面做的，有近300平方米，在那个特殊年代，其他村的大旗全被毁了，这面大旗得以幸存至今实属不易。而今，都是按照这种老旗式样制作大旗的。

大旗因道而生，因茶而盛。在当地传说中，玉山区域茶农迎大旗主要是为了纪念晋代许逊。这位祖籍河南、出生于江西的道士，因传播道教文化游历至玉山，见到当地有许多野生茶树，且茶叶品质上乘，便教会当地农民种茶、制茶，研制出“婺州东白”，得到各方人士青睐，茶农因此获益，清贫生活得以改善。到了宋代，得到朝廷支持的许逊被宋徽宗封为“神功妙济真君”，成为南方重要的信仰支派。玉山茶叶发展很快，“婺州东白”畅销各地，并形成了官办茶场。磐安人感念许逊功德，在茶山之麓修建了茶场庙，为其塑造金身，奉为“茶神”，至今茶场庙中仍供奉着这位“真君大帝”。每年“春社”“秋社”，茶农从各村赶来祭拜，逐渐形成了“赶茶场”这一民俗文化活动。

许逊带领玉山乡民种茶制茶的传说虽已久远，但那座茶场庙依然香火兴旺，那面龙虎大旗年年会在这儿的天空飘扬。这一大山腹地的古老风俗，藏着传承千年的习俗信仰和乡土精神。

当我走进这座有茶文化“活化石”之称的玉山古茶场，仿佛穿越时光隧道，古色古香的建筑，巡检司、称头碑、走马楼、戏台遗址等旧址，以及青石板路面上被独轮车碾出的深深凹槽，无不表明这里曾经商贾云集、热闹非凡。这座因茶而建的古代茶叶交易市场，见证了玉山茶产业的变迁与茶贸易的发展历程。

玉山区域海拔在600～800米之间，茂密的森林，丰沛的水系，孕育了这里的天然优质茶。早在唐代，产自玉山的“婺州东白”声名远播，成为“贡品”，并写入陆羽《茶经》。在漫长历史中，茶叶一直是当地传统特色产业和富民支柱产业。在袅袅升腾的茶香中，淳朴的乡民饮茶思源，用浩大的“迎大旗”赶赴一场茶文化的盛宴。

秋日的早晨，露珠还挂在小草叶尖，暖阳从东面缓缓升起，古茶场外的广场早已人头攒动。各支队伍早已做好竖旗准备：每根旗杆底部对着挖好的二三十厘米左右的浅坑放平，将几段竹木旗杆用铁箍箍牢，再把旗面套在竹旗杆上扎缚牢固，顶上接上饰有流苏飘带的旗头，然后，分配好60根用于撑起旗杆的拢耸竹连接在旗杆的同一处，每根由1～2人掌握，再用5根粗绳系在竹、木旗杆连接处，3根细绳系在旗杆上端同一处，所有的拢耸竹与粗细绳（又称旗索）都是支撑与平衡大旗不可或缺的重要道具。

随着三声“龙炮”响过，来自尚湖镇岭干村的“母旗（又称娘旗）”率先启动，平日里旗会的首领此时成了现场指挥官，统领和调度着这场短暂而又惊险的竞技活动。旗手们训练有素，动作娴熟，七八人先把旗杆底部按入浅坑中，随后手拉旗索，脚踩旗杆底部的横档，使之成为竖旗时的重要支点，另外七八人则沿旗根方向拉紧旗索，其余负责撑杆的旗手各自把住自己的拢耸竹和旗索，整个队伍人员多达百余人。在一阵紧促的锣鼓声中，拢耸竹快速将旗杆托起，待大旗基本竖正，旗手持拢耸竹、旗索迅速散开，以旗杆为中心均匀分散到四周，并将拢耸竹、旗索呈巨伞状撑住大旗，以确保大旗不会倾斜，此时原先拢在一起的旗面被放开，秋风微拂，绘有龙虎图案的大旗随即在空中飘舞，锣鼓声、欢呼声、呐喊声便回荡在广场上空。

“母旗”的背后，有一个故事在当地口口相传。说的是乾隆皇帝巡游江南至玉山境内，遭遇土匪追杀，恰逢茶场庙会，迎旗民众即以大旗掩护，使其藏身在岭干村大旗旁，安然脱险。追兵过后，乾隆帝见旗手威武英勇、仁德仗义，便将岭干大旗封为“旗王”。此后，玉山各村迎大旗时都要先迎岭干“母旗”，才能竖其他村的大旗。

眼见“母旗”竖起，数十面大旗紧接而起，迎风招展，猎猎飘舞，煞是华丽壮观。大旗竞技，一比规模、图案、色彩，看哪个村的大旗最高、最大，图案色彩最美观；大旗都按传统描龙绘虎，以祈风调雨顺，而小旗则绘仙人像、历史人物等，祈求五谷丰登、福寿绵延。二比竖迎技巧，若竖迎中出现差错或折断旗杆，必须换上重竖。“迎大旗”最大的技术难度在“竖”，旗杆下粗上细，加上高度有30多米，每个部位的拉力和推力都需要保持均衡，稍有不慎便会竿断旗倒，百余名旗手须凝神聚心、合力合拍、步骤协调方能成功。而“迎”也不是件简单的事，所谓“迎”就是抬起大旗在广场上移动。大旗竖正后，指挥者站在旗杆底端的横档上，一手抱住旗杆，眼睛向上观测旗头倾斜的方向，另一手指挥16名旗手分两组抬起横档下的两根“旗扛”，大旗与指挥者被悬空抬起，缓缓绕场“迎”旗；为保持旗杆垂直，旗手们必须听从指挥，人人全神贯注，准确判断时机，时刻调整用力，容不得半点闪失。大旗绕场一圈后，回到原地，原样竖回。

凝望着重五六百斤、有十几层楼高的大旗在空中飘扬，这种极富视觉冲击力的画面，令我思接千载、心绪翻涌。一个巡游传道至乡间的道士，因为传授茶技、扶助众生而千百年被民众朝拜纪念，甚至以“迎龙虎大旗，庆茶叶丰收”的民俗盛会，将引领人心、鼓动人心、凝聚人心的旗帜文化演绎到了极致，和许许多多民俗奇观一样，它独特的魅力从历史深处走来、向着未来走去。它昭示了一种已经深深根植于这片土地的感恩情怀，体现出一种勇猛精进、众志成城的龙虎精神，呼唤着一种气吞山河、凌空飞舞的信念与志向。

清代名士周顯岱的《玉山竹枝词》这样描述“秋社”迎大旗的盛况：“十月中旬报赛忙，茶场卜得看场狂。裁罗百幅为旗帜，高揭旗杆十丈强。”庙会期间，玉山周边十里八乡的群众纷纷“赶”到茶场庙，看民俗表演，逛集市摊点，当地茶农以茶待客，场面喜乐祥和。这“赶茶场”赶的是集体的追念、丰收的邀约，还有美好的愿景。

蓝天白云下，玉山古茶场的一砖一瓦、一柱一石，向游人无声地叙说着悠远的茶史。这座国内唯一的古代茶叶交易市场，有着太多不为人知的沧桑经历。而与古茶场相伴相生的“赶茶场”民俗活动，却以迎大旗的精彩展演，将古茶场的故事一代代流传下来。

迎大旗这一极富挑战性、艺术性与观赏性的民俗活动，始于东晋，盛于南宋，至明清进入鼎盛时期，至今仍每年上演。2007年，迎大旗被列入浙江省非遗名录；2008年，被列入第二批国家级非遗名录。千年以来，古茶场茶香四溢，迎大旗激情不灭，年年岁岁从未间断，岁岁年年薪火相传，这就是民间的智慧、民俗的魅力、民艺的力量。

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.