Do you know that？／You know what？ The root of the difference between north and south is the ancestral temple! Uncover the mystery of ancestor worship of China people

　　Have you noticed that there are some ancient ancestral temples in many places in the south, which are places where local people worship their ancestors, visit relatives and friends, and hold activities? However, many places in the north rarely see such buildings, and even if there are, they don't pay much attention to them. Why is this? Are southerners more filial, United and educated than northerners? There are profound historical, geographical, social and cultural reasons behind this.

　　The origin and function of ancestral temple

　　What is the ancestral temple, how it came into being, and what role it plays.

　　Ancestral temples, also known as ancestral halls, clan shrines, clan shrines, etc., are an important form of social organization in China traditional society. It is a collective social group based on blood relationship, marked by a common surname or ancestor, and linked by common beliefs and interests.

　　The ancestral hall usually has a special building, which is used to worship ancestral tablets or statues, perform sacrificial ceremonies, and express awe and gratitude to ancestors. The ancestral hall is also a place for people to meet, communicate, study, entertain, help each other and maintain family rules. It can be said that the ancestral temple is a small society, which has played a role in maintaining social order and stability without state laws and administrative institutions.

　　Formation of North-South Differences

　　Why do southerners like to build and use ancestral temples more than northerners? There are several reasons for this:

　　Historical reasons

　　Compared with the northern region, the southern region is less invaded and ruled by foreign nationalities in history, so it retains more Central Plains culture and traditional customs. However, the northern region has experienced many ethnic integration and changes, which has led to the confusion and disintegration of the original blood relationship and surname system. Therefore, southerners have a stronger sense of identity and belonging to their ancestors and ethnic groups, while northerners are relatively indifferent.

　　Geographical reasons

　　The southern region is suitable for agricultural development because of its complex terrain, vertical and horizontal rivers, fertile land and warm and rainy climate. Therefore, most southerners settled in one place, forming stable villages and families. The northern region is suitable for the development of animal husbandry because of its vast plains, scarce rivers, barren land and cold and dry climate. Therefore, northerners are mostly nomadic in different places, forming mobile tribes and tribal alliances.

　　Social reasons

　　Due to its dense population, rich resources, developed economy, prosperous culture and relative political autonomy, the southern region is relatively autonomous. Therefore, southerners pay more attention to their social status and rights, and safeguard their interests and prestige through ancestral temples without state intervention.

　　However, due to the sparse population, lack of resources, backward economy and single culture, politics in the northern region is controlled by the central or foreign forces. Therefore, northerners pay more attention to their own survival and security, and protect their own interests and prestige through obedience and compromise without autonomy.

　　Cultural reasons

　　Influenced by Confucianism, the southern region pays more attention to the harmony and unity of family and family, and thinks that ancestors are the foundation and soul of family, and offering sacrifices to ancestors is the expression of filial piety and the source of fortune. Therefore, southerners prefer to build and use ancestral temples to express their respect and gratitude to their ancestors, and at the same time pray for peace and good luck for themselves and future generations.

　　Influenced by the legalist ideology, the northern region pays more attention to the order and efficiency of the country and society, and thinks that ancestors are the past history and burden, and offering sacrifices to ancestors is superstitious behavior and a waste of resources. Therefore, northerners don't care much about the construction and use of ancestral halls, and sometimes they even demolish or transform ancestral halls for other purposes.

　　Present situation and future of ancestral temple

　　Southerners love to build ancestral temples, but northerners don't catch a cold, which is caused by historical, geographical, social and cultural factors. This does not mean that southerners are superior or backward than northerners, but people in different regions have different lifestyles and values.

　　In today's society, with the development of economic globalization, social modernization, cultural pluralism and political democratization, the differences between the North and the South are gradually narrowing, while the common ground is gradually increasing. As a traditional form of social organization, ancestral temple needs to be adjusted and innovated when facing new challenges and opportunities.

　　We can't keep or deny the ancestral temple blindly, but should learn useful experiences and lessons from it, so as to keep pace with the times and bring more positive energy to our life today and tomorrow.