The Legend of Shangqiu: The Matchmaker God

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“According to historical records, the \"God of Love in China\" – also known as the Moon Lord Temple – is located to the southwest of the ancient city of Shangqiu in Suiyang District, Shangqiu City, Henan Province. It was built during the Tang Dynasty and is also referred to as the Moon Lord Hall or Hongxi Hall. This temple is dedicated to the venerable Moon Lord, who is considered the god of love in China; he is depicted as an kind-faced old man holding a thread in his hand. In that beautiful and romantic love story, the red thread in the Hand of Fate becomes the hope and anticipation of the young boys and girls. “The ‘Matchmaker under the Moon’ is abbreviated as ‘Moon Matchmaker’. As the god devoted to human marriages, he carries a red thread in his bag; according to the Book of Marriages, this red thread is secretly tied around the feet of the man and woman, thus uniting them as husband and wife. Everyone pays homage to the God of Marriage; unmarried men and women can pray for their ideal lifelong partner, while married couples can pray to this god for a harmonious marriage and a life together until old age. It is said that this matchmaker was first discovered in the Song City of the Tang Dynasty (the ancient city of Shangqiu in Henan today). Today, journalists are unable to find the Moon God Temple near the ancient city. Shang Qixing, an expert on the folk customs of the ancient city of Shangqiu, told reporters that the Moon Lord Temple mentioned in historical records is located where the Baganzhai temple stands today. “In the past, to the southwest of the ancient city of Shangqiu, there was a very large temple named Kaiyuan Temple. During the Tang and Song dynasties, it was renamed Baolong Temple and Longxing Temple. The temple was long destroyed, and the current Hachikan-ji was built on its original site, only on a much smaller scale. ”Shang Qixing said that in Chinese mythology, the Moon Goddess who oversees marriages also originated from this temple. Love stories from a thousand years ago, such as those involving the Moon God of Marriages, were not recorded before the Tang Dynasty. According to the section on ancient legends and selected anecdotes in the Annals of Suiyang District, Shangqiu, the legends of the Matchmaker God and the engagement agency originated in what is now Shangqiu. In the second year of the Zhenguan era of Emperor Taizong of Tang (628), Wei Gu, a scholar from Duling (southeast of present-day Chang’an, Shaanxi), passed through Song City (the ancient city of present-day Shangqiu, Henan) on his way to Qinghe (northeast of present-day Linqing County, Shandong). Despite the hardships of the long journey and travel fatigue, he was captivated by the stunning scenery of South Lake in Song City. Yet, absorbed in sightseeing, they didn’t realize the Jade Rabbit had risen in the east. Seeing that it was already late and he couldn’t enter the city to find lodging, Wei Gu stayed at an inn near the southern gate of the city. He slept until midnight, when the sound of the watch drums from the city tower woke him up, so he got up and left his room. The moon shone brightly, as if it were day. Delighted and enchanted, I was filled with poetic inspiration. He recited a poem: \"Under the moon, a mirror soars in the sky; Chang’e is also full of affection.\" Peeking out of the window often, admiring me, Wei Sheng. Making friends tonight; the trip to Song City was not in vain. After finishing his recitation, Wei Gu smiled knowingly, becoming even more enthusiastic. Taking advantage of the bright moonlight, he found himself at the compound of Longxing Temple without realizing it. There was an old man with white hair and a youthful face, bearing an otherworldly air, sitting on a stone drum beside a stone table, flipping through books. Weigu found it quite strange and asked, \"Old man, what precious book are you reading in the dead of night?\" ”The old man stroked his long beard and said with a smile, “The book of marriages in the world.” ”Weigu was puzzled and asked, “What is a book of marriage?” ”The old man said, “All marriages in the world are recorded in my book.” ”Weigu noticed a bag beside the old man and couldn’t help asking, “What’s in the bag?” ”The old man said, “They are all red ropes.” ”Wei Gu asked, “What is the special use of the red rope?” ”The old man said with a smile, “Don’t underestimate this red string of mine.” If this red thread is tied around the feet of a man and a woman, they become enemies, yet at the same time they become husband and wife who cannot be separated. ”Wei Gu said, “Someone has introduced me to the daughter of Pan Fang, the Sima of Qinghe. Will it work?” ”The old man said, “It is not allowed.” Your wife is in the north of this city. There was a woman named Chen who was blind in one eye and sold vegetables; she was holding that three-year-old girl, who is your wife. I can marry you at seventeen. ”At dawn the next day, Wei Gu took his servants and, following the directions given by the Moon Goddess, went to the north side of the city. Sure enough, I found a woman who was blind in one eye, holding a little girl of a few years old; she wasn’t well-dressed nor beautiful, which made me feel bad. Back at the inn, the more he thought about it, the worse he felt, and so he conceived a malicious plan to send his servants to kill the girl. The household slave was unwilling to carry out such an unjust and evil act, but he could not defy his master, so he had no choice but to carry out the assassination. With one swift strike, it hit the girl right between her eyebrows. The people on the street saw this and started shouting, while the household servants took advantage of the chaos to flee. Returning to the inn, he reported to Wei Gu, “Young master, I have carried out the order to kill her.” ”Upon hearing this, Wei Gu became frightened and fled Song City with his servants that very night. 14 years later, Wei Gu passed the imperial examinations and became an officer in Xiangzhou (present-day Anyang, Henan). The governor Wang Tai, seeing that Wei Gu was talented and promising, wanted to take him as his son-in-law. Wei Gu thought to himself: If I had a governor as my father-in-law, I would have a backing for achieving success in the future, so he gladly agreed. On the day of the wedding, Wei Gu entered the bridal chamber, lifted the red veil, and saw that the bride and groom were of such stunning beauty that they could outshine even the moon and flowers, and their looks were so exquisite as to make fish sink and geese fall from the sky; he was overjoyed at this sight. But to his confusion, the gold ornaments used as facial decorations were not placed right above the forehead, but rather at the center of the brows. Wei Gu then asked with a smile, \"Madam, why have you placed the gold ornament on your forehead?\" ”The lady sighed and said, “It’s a long story.” My father used to be the county magistrate in Songcheng, Songzhou; he was an honest official who treated the people as his own children. Due to his hard work and dedication, he died from illness while in office. The mother was extremely grief-stricken, crying day and night, and soon fell ill and died. From then on, I became an orphan. Thanks to a kind nanny who adopted me and made a living by selling vegetables, my mother and I relied on each other for survival. When I was 3 years old, a thug stabbed me in the forehead, leaving a scar. To cover up the flaw, gold ornaments were placed on the forehead. ”Wei Gu asked, “Is the governor not your biological father?” ”The lady said, “Lord Wang is my uncle.” ”Wei Gu suddenly understood, and he explained things clearly in that way; after saying that, he let out a long sigh. The lady smiled mysteriously: “Let bygones be bygones!” Why seek more troubles? Since the Matchmaker has tied us together, let’s grow old together! Just stop sending people to carry out assassinations. ”Wei Gu smiled and said, “A wife as beautiful and wise is hard to find; I fear losing her. How could I bear to commit an assassination?” ”From then on, the two of them were very affectionate toward each other. It is exactly: \"Fated to meet though miles apart, a single thread binds lovers from afar.\" ”It is said that the couple treated each other with even greater respect from then on, and later they had a son named Wei Kun, who became the governor of Yanmen. Lady Wang was also conferred the title of “Grand Lady of Taiyuan Commandery” by the court. ”Weigu and his wife could not forget Song City. Later, the couple returned to that place and went specifically to the inn at South Gate in Song City, where they told the innkeeper about their past experiences. The innkeeper was amazed after hearing them. Word spreads quickly; in just a few days, it becomes well-known everywhere. Upon hearing the news, the county magistrate of Songcheng personally went to the inn and wrote up a plaque reading “Engagement Inn”. From then on, guests traveling from north to south flocked to the engagement shop to stay there, and went to Longxing Temple late at night, all hoping to meet that kind-hearted matchmaker under the moonlight and inquire about their marriage prospects and future. Today, the engagement shop mentioned in the stories of the Moon God Temple no longer exists, but the Moon God Temple in the Ebo Terrace scenic area of Shangqiu City remains very popular. The Moon God Temple in the Ebo Terrace scenic area, with its red walls and green tiles, gives people a festive atmosphere. During the annual Ebo Terrace Temple Fair, one can see an endless stream of young men and women visiting the Goddess of Marriage’s shrine; they carry prayer slips and keep coming in and out of the shrine. Upon entering the Temple of the Matchmaker, one can see the Matchmaker enshrined there – with a youthful face and white hair, a kind expression and gentle eyes, wearing a smile; seated on the altar, he holds a marriage register in one hand and a red thread in the other. On both sides of the shrine are couplets that read: “A marriage contract seals a hundred-year union; a red thread binds a bond spanning thousands of miles.” ”In addition, the group sculpture in the Moon God Temple that depicts the story of a engagement shop features characters that are vivid and lifelike. Inside the shrine, one can see stories such as “Passing by Wei Gu’s inn in Song City and encountering the Matchmaker under the moon at Longxing Temple” and “The official of the Song dynasty inscribed a message at the engagement inn; the Matchmaker acted as a matchmaker, and this legend has been passed down through the ages.” The plots of these stories can be found in books, but here they are presented in a visual form that allows everyone to experience them directly. There are many unknowns in the world. It is precisely because of the unknown that we can have various wonderful aspirations and experience all kinds of possibilities. Life becomes richer not because one suddenly meets someone they deeply love, enters into a serious relationship, then gets married, has children, and grows old in a peaceful manner, free from harm or loss, but because one has the chance to go through ups and downs and seek what they desire. It is precisely because things are not easy that one learns to cherish them more. Life is like a game of chess; in this vast sea of people, it is both inevitable and accidental that we meet, get to know each other, or fall in love. In the depths of things, there is something called fate or destiny. Whether the Temple of the Matchmaker can truly bring about marriages or not, it remains a place of comfort in the hearts of those in love. Although you may not have found someone to share a boat with and sleep beside at this moment. But here, you might find your soulmate for life and fulfill your own wonderful dreams.