In Wuyi Mountain, the act of finding a backer with a stick originates from the local custom of “Zhishan” that has been passed down for thousands of years, and the wooden sticks used are called “Zhishan sticks”.
This custom has several meanings:
Health prayers: The older generation has a saying that “the wooden stick supports the mountainside and legs are not sore”, and people hope that in this way, the elderly at home will not have back pain, or the elderly who already have back and leg pain can recover as soon as possible.
Pray for peace: Legend has it that in ancient times, people used this method to pray for the blessing of the mountain gods, hoping that their families would stand tall and prosper.
Symbolizes having a backer: People put sticks in the cracks of the stones, which means that they have a backer, and the mountain god can bless themselves and their families with all the best. This is also a kind of psychological sustenance, hoping that when encountering difficulties in life, there will be noble people to help and become auspicious.
In addition, there is a more scientific saying that when a mountain disaster occurs, these sticks will be broken and make a breaking sound, so as to warn people not to approach to avoid casualties.
