Transformation Shentang: Local Social Order Reconstruction Of Ancestral Customs

Ancestor worship is an important part of folk belief cultures. Through basing his work on field work and literature, the author takes Nanguo village as a case, and explores the reason which causes the change from Guo Pu worship as trade god to as ancestor god. The paper include six chapters altogether. The preamble gives a brief introduction to the reason why the paper is written and method used in the paper. In the first chapter the author introduces the some historical and legendary facts of Guo Pu, and next comes the geographical, material and spiritual knowledge of Nanguo village. The definition, nature and current studies of ancestor worship can be seen in the third chapter. In the fourth chapter, with great vividness, the author describes the process of Guogong worship ceremony and analyses its function. In the last part of the paper a conclusion is drawn that the change from Guo Pu worship as trade god to as ancestor god is the result of necessity for constructing social order rural community by the discussion.