原文

东莞城隍

　　洪武二年三月朔，上在朝阳殿，梦一臣幞头象简，一白髯老者随之，山呼舞蹈，称臣东莞城隍，老者县中钵盂山土地，谨奏陛下，东莞岁中致祭无祀。一次不敷，乞敕有司，递年祭三次，庶幽魂得以均沾。上觉而异之，召礼部议，乃封东莞城隍显佑伯，仍管城隍司事。赐伯爵仪仗，暨异锦龙缎一端，印曰东莞县城隍之印。递年三月三日、九月九日，有司以少牢致祭，别颁敕封钵盂山土地，赐以冠带，诏东莞及天下无祀者。岁中清明日、七月望日、十月朔日致祭，著为令，敕书今藏庙中。而钵盂山土地像塑冠带，与他处幅巾深衣者异。

白话

中文

东莞城隍

　　明朝洪武二年（1369年）三月初一，皇帝（朱元璋）在朝阳殿，梦见一个头戴幞头、手持象牙笏板的臣子，后面跟着一位白胡子老者，两人向他行山呼礼并跳舞，自称是东莞县城隍，老者则是县里的钵盂山土地神。他们恭敬地向陛下奏报，东莞县每年祭祀无主孤魂的祭品只有一次，不够分配，恳请陛下下令有关部门，每年祭祀三次，好让幽魂们都能平均受益。皇帝醒来后觉得此事很奇异，便召集礼部官员商议。于是下旨封东莞县城隍为“显佑伯”，仍旧管理城隍事务，赐予伯爵的仪仗、特殊的龙纹锦缎一匹，以及一颗刻有“东莞县城隍之印”的官印。规定每年三月初三和九月初九，由官府用少牢（猪、羊）的规格进行祭祀。另外还颁布敕令封钵盂山土地神，赐予他官帽官服。同时下诏规定东莞乃至全国的无主孤魂，在每年的清明节、七月十五（中元节）和十月初一进行祭祀，并将此定为法令。当时的敕封文书如今还保存在城隍庙中。而钵盂山土地神的神像塑造成头戴官帽、身穿官服的样子，与其他地方常见的戴头巾、穿深衣的土地神像不同。

英文

The City God of Dongguan

　　On the first day of the third lunar month in the second year of the Hongwu reign (1369 CE), the Emperor (Zhu Yuanzhang) was in the Chaoyang Hall when he dreamt of an official wearing a formal cap (futou) and holding an ivory tablet (xiangjian), followed by an old man with a white beard. They performed the ritual cheers ("shan hu") and danced, identifying themselves as the City God of Dongguan County and the local Earth God of Boyu Mountain within the county, respectively. They respectfully reported to His Majesty that the annual sacrifices in Dongguan for the wandering souls (those without descendants) were insufficient with only one offering per year. They requested an imperial decree ordering the relevant authorities to conduct sacrifices three times annually, so that the lonely spirits could all receive their share. The Emperor awoke feeling it was extraordinary and summoned the officials of the Ministry of Rites for discussion. Consequently, he enfeoffed the Dongguan City God as "Xianyou Bo" (Earl of Manifested Assistance), allowing him to continue managing the affairs of the City God Temple. He bestowed upon him the regalia appropriate for an earl, a bolt of special brocade with dragon patterns, and an official seal inscribed "Seal of the Dongguan County City God." It was decreed that on the third day of the third lunar month and the ninth day of the ninth lunar month each year, the local authorities should perform sacrifices using the "lesser animal" ritual (pig and sheep). Separately, an edict enfeoffed the Earth God of Boyu Mountain, granting him an official cap and gown (guandai). Furthermore, an imperial edict mandated that throughout Dongguan and the entire empire, sacrifices for the wandering souls should be held annually on the Qingming Festival (around April 5th), the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month (Ghost Festival), and the first day of the tenth lunar month. This was established as law. The original imperial edict is still preserved in the temple today. The statue of the Boyu Mountain Earth God is distinctively depicted wearing the official cap and gown, differing from the common representations of Earth Gods elsewhere, who usually wear a simple headscarf and robe (fujin shenyi).

文化解读/分析

此条目记述了明初洪武皇帝敕封东莞城隍及相关土地神，并由此推广全国性祭祀无祀鬼魂制度的事件，具有重要的历史和文化价值。

1. 皇权对地方神祇的认可与整合：通过皇帝托梦、敕封爵位（显佑伯）、赐予印信仪仗等方式，将东莞城隍这一地方神祇纳入国家祀典和官僚体系，体现了明初统治者利用神权巩固政权、加强地方控制的策略。城隍被视为阴间的“县令”，其受封强化了神界与人间官僚体系的对应关系。
2. 对无祀鬼魂的关注与制度化祭祀：梦中神灵的核心诉求是增加对无祀鬼魂的祭祀。这反映了中国传统文化中对孤魂野鬼可能作祟的普遍担忧，以及通过祭祀安抚他们以求地方安宁的观念。洪武帝将此建议推广至全国，规定清明、中元、十月朔三个重要时节祭祀无祀鬼魂，将民间习俗上升为国家法令，形成了影响深远的祭祀制度，体现了儒家“慎终追远”和统治者“恤民”思想的延伸。
3. 地方信仰的特殊性与物证：记载明确提到东莞钵盂山土地神因受敕封，其塑像“冠带”而与众不同，以及敕封文书藏于庙中。这不仅为东莞地方信仰增添了独特的历史荣耀，也提供了考察明代服饰制度、地方造像艺术差异以及文献保存状况的具体线索。
4. 梦境作为沟通人神的媒介：梦在古代常被视为沟通天意、人神的重要途径。皇帝的梦被赋予极高的权威性，直接促成了国家政策的制定，反映了天人感应观念在政治生活中的实际应用。
   此条目不仅记录了一段关于东莞地方神祇的传奇历史，更折射出明初国家宗教政策、祭祀制度的形成、中央与地方的关系以及普遍的鬼魂信仰等深层文化内涵。

关键词

东莞城隍、洪武帝、朱元璋、明朝、城隍、土地神、钵盂山、无祀鬼魂、祭祀、敕封、显佑伯、清明节、中元节、十月朔、广东新语、屈大均、地方信仰、国家祀典、天人感应、东莞