The Official Power, The Local Community And The Folk Beliefs

This paper analyzes the First Master of Bixia beliefs in Beijing Yaji Mountain through the Ming Dynasty to the Republic of China, studying on the interactive process of country's political, civil society, local faith, and the internal mechanisms of local social and cultural changes. The Bixia beliefs in North China are one of the most important civil gods. During the Yuan-Ming Dynasty, the official praised the rapid development of civil religion, therefore created favorable conditions for the rise of the Bixia faith. In Ming Dynasty, it began to worship the Bixia beliefs in "Tianxian Temple". After entering Qing Dynasty, with a clear royal official beliefs center, the scale of temple gradually developed into a complex system from a single one.Since the Ming Dynasty, with different social connection, the cultural connotations of the First Master of Bixia show a rich and diverse pattern. From Ming Dynasty to the middle of Qing Dynasty, they had undergone a continuous process of expansion and prosperity. With the Yaji Mountain became the center of worship, many officers had joined the Bixia system.Later Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, the First Master of Bixia beliefs underwent a historic change, moving from the Royal worship center, into a civil worship places. A large number of ordinary people injected new vitality for the First Master of Bixia beliefs in Yaji Mountain.Since the Qing Dynasty, with the role played by the political and community, the Yaji Mountain Pilgrims gradually became a symbol of power. During this process, there had been formed many different types of organizations around this worship center. These hosted by the different sectors, transited from participation by the aristocracy and women during the Kangxi period, to mainly by aristocracy, esquire and ordinary people during the Qianlong period. To the late Qing Dynasty, the Yaji became a more and more diversified organization. In the process of pilgrims, these organizations from different region and class used various channels in order to establish their own belief systems and their position to control the resources of YaJi.The evolution of The First Master of Bixia beliefs in Yaji Mountain from Ming Dynasty to the Republic of China reflected the expansion of the temple systems, the diversification of social and cultural, and the power competition of local social. These evolution trends are the interactive result of country's political, social and local folk beliefs, reflecting the internal mechanism of local social and cultural changes.