Since ancient times, Zhang Town, Shunyi District, has spread the saying that the king of the stove is a native of Zhanggezhuang. Legend has it that the Lord of the Stove was a local farmer surnamed Zhang, who was named the "God of the Stove" by the Jade Emperor after going through hardships. Now in front of the stove in the homes of many villagers in Zhangzhen, the portrait of the king of the stove and the shrine of the king of the stove are still enshrined, and the custom of sacrificing the stove is retained.
The god of the stove is in charge of the production of human food and is one of the well-known gods in our country. Usually he is enshrined in the kitchen, and people get along day and night, "protect a family of Kangtai, check the good and evil of a family", people also call him the king of the stove, the king of the stove, the master of the order, and worship him as the head of the family. There are many legends of the stove prince in various places, the saying is different, Shunyi District Zhanggezhuang (now known as Zhang Town) spreads the saying that the stove prince is a local person, there is a saying: "The surname of the stove prince is Zhang, and the family lives in Zhanggezhuang." ”
Since 2017, every year on the twenty-third day of the lunar month (small year), Shunyi will hold the "Stove King Cultural Festival". At the cultural festival, you can not only taste the characteristic folk food, appreciate the Shunyi intangible cultural heritage handicrafts, but also the traditional sacrificial stove ceremony.
Legend has it that the name of the king of the stove is Zhang Dan, who was originally a farmer in Zhanggezhuang, who was kind and helpful. The daughter of the Jade Emperor fell in love with him in the sky, so she dispersed her mana and went down to earth to marry, and the husband and wife were poor but happy. One year, a large-scale plague broke out in Shunyi, and the two fled home. When he walked to the Worm King Temple, Zhang Shan fell ill, and he let his wife run away and remarry, while he was ready to die. Luckily, after a few days he got better again, and after that he was begging for food from all over again. On the twenty-third day of the lunar month, Zhang Shan happened to find the family where his wife remarried, and the two met with joy and sorrow. His wife cooked him a lot of delicious food, but Zhang Shan died in front of the stove due to bloating caused by overeating. In his honor, the family hung a portrait of Zhang Shan in the kitchen. The Jade Emperor was grateful for his kindness and hereby named him the God of the Stove.
At present, the villagers of Zhangzhen still retain the custom of sacrificing stoves on the twenty-third day of the lunar month. When sacrificing to the stove, first give the stove prince three incense, and then kowtow three heads, and then remove the statue of the stove prince, smear the sugar melon on his mouth and then burn it, and read in his mouth, "God says good things, and the lower world keeps peace." There is more to say, nothing to say. Something to hide." After sending the Stove King Ye back to the Heavenly Court this night, in the Chinese New Year's Eve, he asked for another statue of the New Stove King to be enshrined in front of the Stove.
The legend of King Zhang Zhenzao embodies the local people's optimism about life and their longing for a better life. The stove has always been a symbol of the family, and the stove should be divided into separate homes, and the same stove means living together, and then sharing property. Inheriting the legend of the stove king and its culture is a return to the family and the national tradition.