Belief, Ceremony And Symbol

From traditional China to the modern society, the folk belief affects people's production and life ,is the important component in the chinese culture. This cultural system mainly includes the belief, the ceremony and symbol. And the belief is a content, but the ceremony and the symbol are the main manifestations of the belief. As the manifestation of the human behavio and social order, they has demonstrated society's vicissitude. During long historical process, the traditional belief, the ceremony and the symbol are not only affecting the people's behavior and the psychology, and has also formed the subtle relations with the National government——conflict and supplement. After reform and open policy, The country has the tolerant manner to the folk belief gradually. Under this background, the ceremony of the folk belief restores in many areas, and has formed tremendous influence to the local society.Ceremony,as the carrier of the belief, not only embodies people's belief, but also includes complex symbolic significance. With the society's vicissitude, the ceremony will also displays different form in the different time, and manifests the different social meaning. So take the ceremony as the breakthrough point, analysis with the frame of national and social relations' theory, not only may inquire into the deep cultural connotation behind the folk belief ,but also is helpful to the discussion between folk belief and the society.The thesis is based on the ancestor worship of the Big Pagoda in Hong tong,study the ancestor worship of the Big Pagoda deeply, by the methods of on-the-spot investigation and deep interview as well as literature consult. Based on the frame of national and social relations' theory, taking the longitudinal time as the clue and taking belief, ceremony and symbol as the subject, the paper has unfolded the different ceremony in the different development phase,and inquire into Participants'behavior logic in different ceremony from the sociological angle.It's trying to seek for ceremony's symbolic significance as well as the complex practice logic of the authority.Meanwhile, the author also begins with the roles of the country,the social outstanding people and the common people in the different ceremony, analysing the interactive process of the three people in the ceremony vicissitude.Through the research,we draws three conclusions.Firstly, State power system is consistent with the folk belief system gradually on the ancestor worship of the Big Pagoda.The trend of the relationship between the nation and the community is estranged—Controlled—consistent.Secondly,the country and the society take advantage of each other in different ceremony. The country guides the folk ceremony to serve for the political power,and the society lets the country on the scene using the national mark.Thirdly,with the involvment of the state power,the belief of the Big Pagoda becomes secular,the signifigance desalinates.