Folklore Funerals -- China Folk Culture Series

Author: Lin Yun, Nie Da (editors)
Publisher:
Publish Date: July 1, 2005
Features: Many people believe that Confucian thought and culture dominate and govern most of the lives of the Chinese people. In reality, this is not the case. The folk life of ordinary Chinese is rich with their own profound emotions, romantic imagination, and creative inspiration. While managing the mundane aspects of daily life—such as cooking, cleaning, and household expenses—people also continuously concern themselves with the mysteries of the universe: Where did the world come from? Who governs it? Who dispenses happiness? Who brings suffering? How can one attract good fortune and avoid misfortune? How can one transform adversity into good? In ancient times, due to the backward state of science and technology, myths and religions emerged to answer these questions. People created a variety of deities in myths and religions, who possessed supernatural powers. When faced with insurmountable setbacks and difficulties in their secular lives, people would their hopes on the deities of the other world, maintaining a close and harmonious relationship with them, hoping to solve worldly problems through their power and restore balance. Thus, rituals and worship of deities became the primary "means of communication" between humans and gods. Of course, ancestor worship and the veneration of deified historical figures also reflect the special needs of humans and gods for "communication," emotional expression, and the adjustment of social order. The deities that the common people spiritually desire are the ones they create. The world, symbolic systems, and ritual performances created and passed down by the Chinese nation are truly diverse and dazzling. How can this be said to be far removed from the Confucian principle of "not speaking of the strange, the powerful, the chaotic, or the divine"? The rich and varied ritual culture is an important part of traditional Chinese culture, yet it is a side that is rarely noticed. Stepping into the sacred world of the Chinese people, one cannot help but be amazed by their extraordinary imagination and creativity, nor can one help but sigh at their hardships and hopes. This book aims to provide a panoramic introduction to Chinese ritual culture, hoping that through this small showcase, readers will gain a deeper understanding of China's unique folk culture—ritual culture—and the beliefs and emotional world of the Chinese people, thereby deepening their comprehension and enlightenment of traditional Chinese culture. During the writing process, this book referenced a vast amount of information and materials recorded in various ways, as well as the research findings of many scholars, such as: "Crossing the of Dialogue: Chinese Rituals" by Chen Si (editor), "Deities and Rituals—A Comprehensive Overview of Traditional Religion" by Zhan Yinxin, "Folk Temple Fairs" by Gao Youpeng, "Ancient Chinese Festival Culture" by Song Zhaolin, "Chinese Taoist, Buddhist, and Folk Gods" by Ma Shuti, etc.; online resources from ritual culture websites; and combined with the author's personal field and rural investigations. With this solid foundation, this book has been completed. Additionally, due to the constraints of the series format and conditions, the illustrations in this book cannot be attributed to their respective authors and sources. We hereby express our deep gratitude to the text and image authors! May everyone refine and extract the essence from traditional culture, providing some enlightenment for the construction of contemporary cultural life! Lin Yun, Nie Da