Worshiping City Gods
In Chinese culture there is a distinction between official religion and popular religion. In official religion, worshiping a city god was complex and can only be performed by officials and degree holders. These activities helped legitimize the state in the eyes of the common people and preserved local status distinctions. The prescribed sacrifices for a city god are described in the "Auspicious Rites" section of the Da Qing Tongli, the Qing Dynasty manual for rituals. The official worship of a city god was a solemn and dignified event, and these ceremonies were held inside the temple. The animals and food that were sacrificed to the city god were carefully inspected by the religious officials to make sure that they are good enough for the city god.
The popular worship of a city god is much more flexible. People come from rural and urban areas to pray to him or her and ask for specific favours. The most common favour requested in these prayers is good health. On the city god's birthday the people of the town or city have a huge celebration to honour the city god. These ceremonies often draw huge crowds of people and involve theatrical performances, sales of refreshments, fireworks, firecrackers, noises of gongs and drums, and incense burning.
Read more about this topic: City God
Famous quotes containing the words city and/or gods:
“When the city gate catches fire, it’s the fish in the moat who suffer.”
—Chinese proverb.
“If we are related, we shall meet. It was a tradition of the ancient world, that no metamorphosis could hide a god from a god; and there is a Greek verse which runs, “The Gods are to each other not unknown.” Friends also follow the laws of divine necessity; they gravitate to each other, and cannot otherwise.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)