Sally Wang

ACCORDING to the traditional Chinese calendar, Feb. 4 or 5 marks the start of the spring ploughing season with a special ceremony — the whipping of a cattle statue made of earth — held to encourage farmers to begin sowing their crops.

In Shenzhen, the Chunniutang, or the Spring Cattle Hall, was established during early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to hold the ceremony at the northern foot of Nanshan Mountain, near the current Nanshan Party school on Dongbin Road.

The ceremony of whipping an earthen cattle statue thrived in Shenzhen at the beginning of every spring during the Ming and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

Whipping the earthen cattle was one of the most important official ceremonies at that time in Shenzhen, then called Xin’an County, with the county’s magistrate himself hosting the ceremony to guarantee a good year’s harvest.

Staff at the Nantou Museum say the Spring Cattle Hall, now under district-level protection, is a significant ancient historical and cultural site in Nanshan. Plans have been made to uncover the underground remains to reconstruct scenes from the past.

The hall, 23 meters wide and 43 meters deep, originally had 15 rooms in three rows forming a typical traditional Chinese compound.

But over the years, due to the lack of protection, only the back hall, the enclosing wall, and an ancient well, all in a dilapidated state, have withstood the passage of time.

The back hall, sealed and closed except for a big hole at the front, contains an ancient well. Trees and grass now grow in front of the hall.

According to historical records, there used to be a pair of couplets on the walls of the hall praising god for protecting the land since the Song Dynasty (960-1279). A sacred tablet used to be consecrated in the main hall worshipping “Tianhou” — the goddess of the sea protecting the country and its people.

But they have been replaced by new couplets asking the gods to cure diseases and prevent disasters. Remains of burnt joss sticks and candles litter the ground.