Iconography Of Chinese Paper Gods Of Yunnan Province

Zhima is a type of Chinese folk woodcut, which is used as a means of praying forhappiness and protection from evil spirits. During religious ceremonies zhima are burned asa sacrifice to the gods. Today in many parts of China it is possible to find zhima, but thezhima of Yunnan province are the most famous for their distinctive character. The images ofYunnan zhima are based on folk woodcuts from central China. They inherited theiconography of some Han deities and imitate the composition of central Chinese zhima.Some Han deities have been adopted by the Bai people, and been given a new appearancein Yunnan folk prints. One of the most widespread religion of Yunnan province, shamanism,was influenced by the three main religions of Han people. Today these shamans, or“doxibo”, use zhima in their ceremonies. Jiama, a particular type of zhima, is now used byshamans to communicate with spirits. This has led to the appearance of many primitivesubjects in Yunnan zhima, especially images of the local protective gods “benzhu” and“tuzhu”. Tibetan culture has also influenced Yunnan zhima. Images of Dharmapalas oftenappear in the zhima as the local deity “benzhu”; Vaisravana has influenced the iconographyof the Yunnan god of wealth. Contemporary society has also influenced the moderniconography of Yunnan gods. All these factors have influenced the figurative style of localzhima. Some woodcuts are made in the traditional Han style, and others in a style heavilyinfluenced by Yunnan’s folk traditions. Some artists have started to copy illustrations ofmodern magazines and newspapers, which has led to a new figurative “modern” style onYunnan zhima. This paper analyzes all of these influences, in order to understand theiconography types and origins of Yunnan deities and describe the geographic distribution ofdifferent styles of zhima.