A Study Of Temple Fairs In Southeastern Shanxi In The Late Qing Dynasty And The Early Republic Of China

Temple fair originated from sacrifice,which was produced by the early people from the worship of gods.The unique geographical location and long and rich history and culture of Southeast Shanxi give birth to various forms of temple fairs.In the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China,due to the closed traffic,foreign culture had little influence on it,and still maintained the characteristics of temple fairs in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.Especially under the influence of long-term natural disasters,people in southeastern Shanxi put more hope on the support of gods,and expressed their demands by holding temple fairs to offer sacrifices and get spiritual comfort,so the temple fair is still prosperous.With the development of commodity economy and the further development of temple fair culture in the southeast of Shanxi Province,a closed and open temple fair culture was gradually formed under the interaction of natural and social factors.At the same time,with the development of commodity economy,the economic function of temple fair is becoming more and more obvious,becoming an important commodity trading place,and some even become special fairs.On the one hand,it meets the material needs of the closed mountain villages;on the other hand,it meets the material needs of the closed mountain villages;On the other hand,it strengthened the rural contract system in Southeast Shanxi.In addition,the temple fair is also an important place of entertainment.The entertainment activities of the temple fair release the psychological pressure of the villagers and carry out the carnival of the whole people.In a word,the temple fair activities in this period greatly strengthened the cultural exchange and integration and economic integration between rural areas,showing the development and evolution of rural society in this period.